Photo by Lola Akinmade

As with many crafts such as writing and fine art, the world of photography is fiercely competitive. It can take years to stand out from the mass of talented individuals out there.

Developing an Online Presence

Whether you’re creating a personal website or blog, or using a photo-sharing site such as Flickr, developing an online presence is crucial to your success as a travel photographer. You should readily be able to share links to and showcase your work without resorting to hard copy prints. Preeti Burkholder’s article on selling your travel photography provides a detailed guide on how to present your portfolio online.

Photography Contests

Contests are a great way to gauge where you stand in the talent pool. Most photo contests charge an entry fee starting at around $25 per entry. Spending time entering contests may not seem like a worthwhile investment, however, the exposure gained by winning one of the following contests would be invaluable:

* International Photography Awards (IPA)

* PDN: World In Focus

* Travel Photographer Of The Year (TPOTY)

* PopPhoto Contests

Photography can be an expensive hobby to maintain, so unless you’re financially able to afford the entry fees, here are a few free photography contests you can participate in:

* National Geographic: Your Shot

* Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

* BetterPhoto.com

* Nikon Photo Contest International

On a recent scouring mission of photo contests online, I came across the name, Larry Louie. He’d participated in many contests and his breathtaking travel photographs were either nominated or had won a category or two. He was recently awarded IPA’s 2007 . When I clicked over to his personal site, I found out that he also ran his own eyecare center in Edmonton, Canada. Larry is a great example of a hobby photographer, building an impressive online resume to spotlight his travel photography.

Connect with other travel photographers

Joining an online community of travel photographers is a great way to learn from others, solicit feedback and critiques as well as build your network.

Woophy is an excellent (free) resource for the budding travel photographer. With over 24,000 registered users, you will be treated to amazing photography from every corner of the globe. Woophy also runs photography contests for its members.

JPG Magazine is a great publication that boasts a wide range of users who regularly contribute to select themes such as “Split-second” or “Surroundings”. Top photographs from these themes, in addition to submitted photo essays, become published in its print magazine.

Intelligent Travel (a National Geographic publication) is a photography blog that maintains a Flickr photo pool where budding photographers can submit their travel photographs.

A city may not be the first place you think of when you think “green,” but New York City is one of the greenest places in the US. Sure, there’s Central Park and its impressive outer-borough cousins, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Staten Island’s Narrows Botanical Gardens, but there are plenty of less familiar green sites that will get you off the beaten path and show you a New York you probably didn’t know existed. Welcome to the big green apple!

Practical Information:

If you’re flying into LaGuardia, JFK, or Newark, take the AirTrain from your terminal to the nearest subway/train station. Faster and cheaper than a taxi, the AirTrain is the newest piece of NYC’s well-developed mass transit system. If you plan to move around the city by subway, buy an unlimited Metrocard, which is sold by the day, week, or month and is far less expensive than the $2 per ride fare. While you’re in the subway station, pick up a free map at any fare booth.

Get Outdoors:

It may be called the concrete jungle, but New York City has some amazing green spaces too, including:

The Science Barge: Run by the New York Sun Works Center for Sustainable Engineering, The Science Barge is part school-on-a-ship, part urban farm. Anchored on the city’s West Side Hudson River, the barge is powered by solar, wind, and biofuels, producing foods that generate no carbon emissions, no net water consumption, and no waste stream. During warmer months, you can visit the barge for free!

Hudson River Park: New Yorkers’ waterside playground, the Hudson River Park runs almost the entire length of Manhattan’s West Side, offering recreational opportunities for enthusiasts of rollerblading, biking, kayaking, climbing, skateboarding, fishing, and more… even trapeze! During the summer, free kayaking is a major attraction for beginners to experts, with the former offered lessons and the latter offered kayak polo games and trips north on the Hudson.

Union Square Greenmarket: Rub shoulders with famous chefs without having to beg for a reservation. The Union Square Greenmarket, one of the city’s many outdoor markets, is the best of the best.

Walking Tours: Get off the double-decker bus and get your feet on the pavement! NYC has some of the world’s very best walking tours, with a tour for every interest. There’s the food tour, the ghost tour, and tours for nearly every immigrant group that passed through Ellis Island’s portals. Some of the best tours are offered by the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Of course, if you don’t want to hire a guide, give yourself a tour—check out Bruce Kayton’s book, Radical Walking Tours of New York City.

Go Inside:

Open House New York: Green isn’t just about the physical environment, it’s about being conscious of the environments we build and in which we live, work, and play. OHNY’s best event is its annual weekend city-wide “Open House,” but it also has programs throughout the year that give people access to places that are normally beyond the public’s access and view.

Go Eat:

The Green Table: Nestled in Chelsea Market, The Green Table is a tiny organic restaurant whose menu changes daily, built around seasonal organic ingredients and organic wine and beer.

The New Leaf Café: The food is great, the setting is amazing (nestled in Fort Tryon Park, at the northernmost tip of Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River to the west, a great place to wander after visiting the Met’s Cloisters, also located in the park), and the best thing of all is that net proceeds from the café go right back to the park’s restoration and maintenance.

GOBO: food for the five senses: Organic, vegetarian, small plates, good for sampling and sharing.

Just Go:

You know all about the subway, but consider these other mass transit options, too: water taxi (which also offers an Audubon tour), Roosevelt Island Tramway, pedicabs, or your own bike.

Accommodations:

NYC is still getting green with its lodging, but the city’s first LEED certified hotels are under construction, slated to open in 2008 and 2009. For those who can’t wait or whose budget is unlikely to accommodate such eco-luxe lodging, try home-swapping or inexpensive rentals on craigslist. A best bet is the Sugar Hill Harlem Inn.

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One of Matador’s regular contributors, Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York, Mexico City, and San Juan. She has a BA in English and Women’s Studies, a Masters of Social Work, and is working on a PhD in Literature at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe.

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Interested in contributing a Green Guide to the Traveler’s Notebook? Check Matador’s Bounty Board for information on how to contribute.

Photo by Joseph Brody

As we all make efforts to minimize our carbon footprint, the Traveler’s Notebook presents the first of our series on the greenest road trips in North America: Nova Scotia. These trips offer maximum activity options with a minimum amount of driving. And as opposed to interstates, which usually avoid local communities (and thus deprive them of the economic support they’d otherwise receive from travelers), the roads you’ll travel here traverse some of the best towns and terrain you’ll find anywhere.

Nova Scotia is “Canada’s ocean playground” – a land of salty old towns, friendly locals, and heartbreaking coastal scenery. This short loop begins and ends in Halifax.

Heading west out of Halifax, avoid the divided Highway103, and opt instead for the winding coastal Highway 3.

Your first stop has got to be the wave-lashed, glacier-scarred, lobster fishing village of Peggy’s Cove. Nova Scotians love to complain about how touristy this tiny community has become, but the reality is that development in the area has been strictly controlled. The only amenity for tourists is a restaurant/gift shop combo specializing in seafood chowder and bright yellow, plastic Sou’Westers. Sunny summer afternoons will see some tour buses coming and going, but on a foggy morning or evening you’ll have the place to yourself.

Just west of the village you’ll find the haunting, somber memorial to Swissair Flight 111, which crashed into the bay in 1998 killing everyone on board.

Stop in Mahone Bay for herb and cheese bread (or any other baked goodie that catches your eye) at the Lahave Bakery, which also doubles as a hostel in peak season.

Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home port of the legendary fishing schooner Bluenose (as seen on the Canadian 10-cent coin), and a small town packed with postcard views and local history. It also attracts more than its fair share of artsy types and old hippies: look for folk art galleries and veggie-friendly cafes scattered between the seafood restaurants and tiny B&Bs.

From Lunenburg, cut inland via Bridgewater to Kejimkujik National Park. Keji is a canoeist’s paradise in the heart of Nova Scotia’s largely uninhabited interior, and offers a mixture of drive-in and backcountry sites, accessible by foot, canoe (rentals available), cross-country ski, or snowshoe.

Follow Highway 8 north from Keji until you emerge at Annapolis Royal, founded by the French in 1605 and one of the oldest European settlements in North America. There are some beautiful heritage buildings, gardens, crafty shops, and the usual Victorian B&Bs, but the area’s economic troubles, and its relative isolation from the tourist beaten path, mean that none of it feels trite or overdone – this really is a sleepy old colonial town, not just a modern re-enactment.

Detour west along the Annapolis Basin to Bear River, a village known for its eclectic community of artists, and for its riverside houses built on stilts to withstand the famous Fundy tides, the highest in the world. Browse the studios, galleries and craft shops, wander the riverside paths, and check out the Bear River First Nations Community Heritage and Cultural Centre, an interpretive centre showcasing the traditional Mi’kmaq way of life.

Heading east again, stick to Highway 1 as it shadows less-interesting Highway 101. In Kingston, get off the highway entirely and ask a local for directions to the village of Morden, also known as French Cross, on the Bay of Fundy. Here you’ll find a powerfully bleak stretch of coastline and a lonely monument to the Acadians who were forcibly expelled from the region by the British in 1755 – eventually becoming the Cajuns of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Back on the 1, head east to Kentville and then north to Cape Split for a classic day hike. After you’ve had your fill of the view, Highway 1 will take you back east and south to Halifax.

Practical Notes:

Public transport options are few and far between. Salty Bear Adventure Travel offers a variety of hop-on/hop-off options, and Acadian Lines serves the major centers. Hitching is still relatively common in rural Nova Scotia, and biking is a great option as well if you don’t mind a lot of hills.

Camping Nova Scotia lists camping options around the province.

This loop could be extended by following Highway 3 west from Lunenburg all the way to Yarmouth, on the western tip of the peninsula, where it connects to Highway 1. Tourism Nova Scotia offers further detail about both routes – check out The Lighthouse Route (south shore) and The Evangeline Trail (Fundy shore).

For more on Halifax, see my Matador Guide.

And finally, keep your eyes peeled for any village, historical site, or quirky roadside attraction that catches your eye as you go. There is far, far more to see than I have been able to cover here.

Ciad mille failte!

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Eva Holland is a historical researcher and freelance writer living in Ottawa, Canada. She blogs about travel for World Hum and Vagablogging, and her writing has appeared in The Ottawa Citizen, The Edmonton Journal, and Matador Travel.

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Do you have a great itinerary we should include in North American’s Greenest Road Trips? Click here to contribute.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Ever perused the pages of National Geographic and wondered how those amazing personal moments were captured? From tribal chiefs in Papua New Guinea to the cutest Mongolian children: in most cases no common language is spoken between the photographer and their subjects, yet you can see and feel the connection through the portrait. Taking pictures of amazing scenery lets you share the feeling of being somewhere exotic with friends and family. But bringing back pictures of natives gives a brief insight into life in other cultures and how local people actually live their daily lives.

One of the daunting tasks travel photographers always face is how to approach someone, make them trust your momentarily, and capture a once in a lifetime shot. As I’ve gradually improved as a travel photographer, these are some of the things that have helped me along the way.

Smile

Nothing disarms someone’s protective front faster than eye contact and a warm smile that genuinely reaches the eyes. A smile and gentle nod always goes a long way and lets your subject know that you are very approachable. With the instant gratification that comes with a viewfinder on all digital cameras, you can immediately show your subject their portrait on the camera. You can delete pictures if they show you any sign of disapproval. Since you probably never carry a consent or photo release form for them to sign, you can always let them know through your disposition that you will not use their pictures unethically in any way. Remember to always seal the deal with a “thank you” in your subject’s native language.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Focus on one person

If you happen upon a group of people who you want to photograph, you know you’re instantly going to get a busy shot. By focusing and connecting with one person in the group, their intense portrait invites you to come join the party. One of my favorite group shots was taken in a village called Krang Yaw, deep within a Cambodian province. Within the frenzy of excitement, one of the kids looked straight at me and her face said it all.

Follow your instincts

Call it the sixth sense, but people always know when they are being watched or observed, and sooner or later, they will subconsciously turn towards the source of discomfort. It is in those few seconds of realization that some of the best travel shots are taken. One of the recent winners of National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s Photo Contest, Katarzyna Sobocinska, explains in her winning shot taken of a little girl in the village of Itekun, Nigeria, “…I was waiting for the moment when she’d look at me without yet knowing what I was trying to do. I released the camera button exactly when she noticed me.”

Give people distance

In many situations, you may not be able to get up close and personal with your subjects. For example, monks in Asia, or guards patrolling presidential palaces or castles in Europe, just to name a few. In these cases you may want to invest in a longer lens that allows you to give them space, yet capture a great moment. Unless you’re a sports photographer or professional photographer on assignment in the wild, a 55-200mm lens is more than adequate.

Try color

We’ve all heard that a black and white portrait always captures the raw emotion of its subject and adds depth to their profile. While this is a known, practiced fact, you should try capturing the amazing colors and vibrancy of a native in his or her portrait as well. You can always capture the image in color and post-process into a black and white version later. Color adds a certain dimension to portraits by transporting them from caricatures back to living beings. If you can capture strong emotions in color, imagine just how intense that same portrait would be when you post-process it into a black and white image!

Know when to quit

While you may want to smile at everyone you want to capture, sensitivity to cultural norms should always take precedence. Be considerate around religious figures and activities. Avoid snapping children when their parents visibly disapprove. Always be respectful of personal boundaries.

Persistently smiling at someone who is obviously having a bad day might agitate and alienate them further.

Photo by Nicole Lee

Looking for a last minute-gift for your favorite traveler? Consider one of these:

10. Airline Gift Certificates:

Travel is increasingly expensive, and most of us who live a nomadic lifestyle appreciate all the help we can get with chipping away at our travel costs.

Many airlines now offer travel gift certificates, ranging as low as $10 to as much as $1,000. For travel on lower-cost carriers, even small gifts can make an appreciable difference, especially for a traveler on a shoestring budget. Bonus: Most of the cards never expire.

Here are a few gift cards available online: Jet Blue; Southwest; American.

9. Airline Lounge Membership or Guest Pass

This is a great and often overlooked gift for the long-haul traveler. Airline lounges aren’t frequented by budget travelers, who might be particularly apt to appreciate the luxurious amenity of this gift.

Lounges vary in their services, but typically offer drinks, internet use, a relatively calm place to relax between flights; some even showers.

One-day passes are offered for as low as $25, while memberships typically run in the range of several hundred dollars. American, Continental, and Delta all offer one-day passes.

8. Gift Cards for Airport Shops:

The world’s airports tend to offer the same host of shops, and a traveler in transit might sigh in relief as he or she pulls your thoughtful gift card out to pay for a purchase. In the US, typical airport shops and services include The Body Shop, Brookstone, InMotion Pictures, and maps.com, National Geographic, and Wildernet.

6. Books

What’s your friend’s dream destination or big trip for 2008? Skip the guidebooks and dig a bit deeper to find some books that will tell the reader a bit more about the place.

Here are some great reads for a couple of places I’ve visited in the past year that really enhanced my experience once I was there:

Cuba: Lynnette Chiang’s The Handsomest Man in Cuba, a travelogue about an Australian woman’s adventures cycling around Cuba (a bonus in this book is an awesome reference and resource section in the back), Chiang not only captures the spirit of Cuban people—for better and for worse—but she also conveyed astute observations about politics and culture that were spot on.

Mexico: The Mexico Reader, edited by Gilbert Joseph, is a crash course in Mexican history, politics, and society—and it manages to remain fascinating (there’s also a whole series of Readers from Duke University Press, including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Peru).

New York: The Not For Tourists’ (NFT) Guide. Enough said.

5. A “Stir the Senses” Gift Pack

No matter where your favorite traveler is headed, the food awaiting him or her at the destination will have their unique flavor. Get your friend psyched for the journey by putting together a basket or box full of small goodies that are emblematic of the trip.

Ethiopia? Berbere spice mix (you can find a recipe online and make it yourself or you can order it—and any other variety of spices–online).

China? Tea buds (tightly woven buds that morph into flowers when immersed in hot water).

Japan? Sake! Be creative!

4. Journals

Many travelers enjoy journaling or having a book in which they can slip ticket stubs, restaurant coasters, phone numbers or e-mails of friends met on the road, airline tickets, and other memorabilia. Journals range from the functional to the fancy, but a good and reliable brand is Moleskine, which makes functional, sturdy journals in a variety of styles and sizes.

3. The Ultimate Carry-On Bag

Finding the best carry-on bag is tough, but I finally did it! Baggallini makes a wide variety of bags that are perfect for travel (my personal favorite is what I consider the perfect carry-on—the Hamptons Bagg). This bag constantly amazes me with how spacious it is, but a bonus is that it is tear and water-resistant… it can take a beating.

2. Electronics Storage Kit

Help your favorite traveler get organized… find the perfect kit for cables, cords, chargers, and battery packs for phones, cameras, and laptops… and while you’re at it, throw in a universal adapter kit.

1. A Welcome Home Basket

Those of us who spend lots of time on the road, in the air, or on the sea may still have a physical address we call home, and when we get there, we often find we’re missing some basic staples and supplies that keep life organized.

Postage stamps (for all those bills that piled up!), an IOU for a dinner, or a bottle of wine helps ease the transition back to life in a fixed location.

If you’re particularly crafty or technically inclined, you may offer your skills to create memories from your friends’ photos—a CD or DVD of their trip, a photo album or scrapbook, or customized postage stamps that capture a particularly great image of the place they’ve left behind.

The journey towards our ultimate destinations can be very tedious especially when it spans multiple continents. Traversing the world means having to travel much longer distances to get to those off-beaten paths and less touristy locations. As much as I love to travel, I am dreading my upcoming 17 hour flight from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Bangkok, Thailand, so here are ten tips I will be using to survive my long haul flight.

Catch up on movies

Long flights are a perfect opportunity to catch up on the movies on your “must-see” list. Chances are your must-see list is at least six months old, and the probability of the airline playing the movies on your list is pretty high. Whether it’s watching the movie 300 for the 300th time or finally watching that foreign movie you had always wanted to see, you can easily pass four to five hours perusing movies on board. Headsets are always handed out on long haul flights, but do bring a backup set if you’d prefer.

Learn a couple phrases in a foreign language

The fact that you’re flying hours over two or three continents to your destination probably means that a different language will be spoken on arrival. Your long flight is an opportunity to read your phrasebook, learn a few words in the local language, or brush up on your language skills if you’re more than a beginner. If you bring along your own audio device like an iPod, MP3, or CD player, you can bring along an audio phrasebook as well. Before my flight, I invested in a $50 MP3 player on to which I transferred Swedish and German audio lessons so I could catch up on my studies. Ideally, audio lessons in the language spoken at your destination may be more beneficial.

Sleep like a baby

A 17 hour flight is a great opportunity to catch up on much needed sleep. If you cannot force yourself to sleep, taking a sleep aid or pill can help relax your body, make you drowsy, and get you into pure sleep mode. You can always ask for a pillow, sleeping mask, and earplugs if you need them.

Stretch your legs

Every two hours or so, do get up and move around the cabin. Make multiple laps down the length of your cabin to get the blood flowing again. This will help avoid blood clots that come with immobility. The back of the plane provides an ideal spot for stretching as well. Strolling around the cabin is also a great way to people watch, and observe the various ways others are surviving a long flight.

Strike up conversation

Of course, this depends on who you find yourself sitting next to. I recently shared a row with an Olympic sailor who represents the Netherlands. Many lasting friendships are forged through random conversations started on airplanes. You could start by commiserating on why you’re both on a 17 hour flight, what you both plan to do once you arrive at your destination, how long you’ll both be staying, and much more. You just might meet your next travel buddy or next career opportunity. On a trip back from Pamplona two years ago, I ended up sitting next to and sharing bull running footage with a Belgian businessman who ran his own consulting firm. By the end of the flight, I had received a job offer to be an international IT consultant.

Read a book

Grab a book at one of the airport stores before you board if you didn’t pack any. There are tons of excellent books and travel stories from writers such as Pico Iyer, Ted Conover, and Bill Bryson just to name a few you can read to wile away time. Travel stories are a great way to keep your excitement up and help your escape once the restriction of the airplane starts to bear down on you. For the trip, I purchased the award winning “Sand in my bra” collection of travel stories, edited by Jennifer L. Leo.

Write in your journal

Long flights back provide the perfect opportunity to reflect on your travels and jot down your feelings, observations, and experiences. You can catch up on missed journal entries, finish your sketches, jot down ideas, or begin the draft of an article. I usually carry a few pastels and sketch out ideas that become paintings later on.

Listen to music

Airlines play a decent eclectic collection of music on many channels and you’re bound to find one you like. To be safe, you can bring along your own audio device and groove to your own beats.

Play games

Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are great distraction from a long tedious flight. A deck of cards might come in handy if your seatmate is a great sport and knows a few card games. Based on your personal packing restrictions, you could bring along handheld electronic gaming devices such as portable Sony Playstations or Nintendo.

Track your flight progress

Once the “Are we there yet?” feeling hits, switch over to the GPS tracking system on your seatback monitor to track your plane’s progress and see if you need to start using your long haul flight tips all over again.

Your mode of transport can make or break a travel experience and there are so many different aspects to consider. In this podcast episode Craig Martin draws five points to your attention.

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1. Price

In Western Europe it is often cheaper to fly mid- to long-distance trips but that doesn’t hold true everywhere in the world.

2. Convenience
Train stations are normally more accessible than airports, which can make a big different. There is also less time wasted with security, check-in procedure and — most wonderfully — passport control.

3. Ticketing
Both train companies and airlines allow electronic ticketing which is often the most convenient way to buy in advance. However when buying on the day of departure it’s normally easier to get a train ticket from the station.

4. Comfort
Unless you’re flying first or business class, trains are normally more comfortable. Although liable to overcrowding the various seating options, the ability to walk around throughout the whole journey and extras like internet access make train journeys more comfortable.

5. Environment
Forget about carbon footprints for a minute; when flying do you have any idea of the environment you’re passing through? Trains help travelers keep perspective and afford more opportunities to interact with the land and its people.

If you’re interested in train travel, Seat61.com (http://www.seat61.com) is the most informative site around. You can hear an interview with the man in seat 61 on Craig’s regular podcast.

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One of Matador’s newest contributors, Craig Martin has been living on the road since leaving Auckland, New Zealand in February 2006. In fact, he hasn’t slept in the same bed for more than two weeks all year! He podcasts at the indie travel podcast.

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Canada’s national capital doesn’t get the travel attention that its flashier cousins, Toronto and Montreal, receive. But Ottawa, a mid-sized city on the border between Ontario and Quebec, has a lot more to offer visitors than just the chance to rub elbows with politicians and bureaucrats. In Ottawa you can see Canadian tax dollars at work–funding a brace of high-quality museums, galleries and festivals, public transit to reach them all, and possibly the best network of designated cycle paths and bike lanes on the continent. The capital is also, thanks to its small size and relatively isolated location, a lot closer to nature than most major cities. Ever loaded your snowshoes onto a city bus, hopped off outside a nature preserve, and headed off-trail for the afternoon? No? Welcome to Ottawa, the city where your urban-outdoor travel dreams can come true.

PRACTICAL INFO

Ottawa’s international airport has direct flights to a few major US cities as well as to London – otherwise, expect to connect through Toronto or Montreal. Amtrak connects with the Canadian rail network (Via Rail) in Toronto and Montreal as well, so you can change to an Ottawa-bound train in either city. The nearest border crossings are at Brockville and Cornwall, roughly an hour west and east of town, respectively.

GET OUTDOORS

The outdoorsy type is faced with an embarrassment of riches in Ottawa, all year round. The main hubs of activity are Gatineau Park, The Greenbelt, the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal.

Gatineau Park is a 361-square kilometer preservation area, managed by the NCC and hovering on the edges of Gatineau, Ottawa’s conjoined-twin city on the Quebec side of the river. In summer it’s home to hiking, mountain biking and camping (not to mention some major National Historic Sites, a handful of amazing lookouts, and some unique, fragile flora and geology as well), but it’s in winter that it really shows off, with 10km of maintained winter hiking trails, 20km of snowshoeing trails, and 200km of groomed cross-country skiing trails available for public use. There are also winter camping sites and a selection of winterized cabins and yurts for rent within the park. Equipment rentals are available at the visitors centre; the ski trails will cost you (about ten bucks for a day), but the snowshoeing and hiking trails are free. There’s also a private downhill skiing facility, Camp Fortune, located within the park.

The Greenbelt is a 20,000 hectare preserved green space located in what used to be the western edge of the city, though now the suburbs extend well beyond it. It’s either a stroke of eco-genius or an urban planning nightmare, depending on who you ask, but either way it offers hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, toboganning, and cross-country skiing, all free to the public and all within the boundaries of the city. There’s also camping within the park at the Ottawa Municipal Campground (May to October only).

The Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal are both lined on either bank by designated bike paths (rollerbladers, joggers, and pedestrians also welcome), connecting to a larger network of pathways and reserved bike lanes throughout the city. Most of the big sights – Parliament Buildings, the Supreme Court, the National Gallery, and so on – are visible from the river and the north end of the canal, and a ride along either is the perfect way to see the city. Bikes can be rented in summer at RentABike, at the intersection of Rideau Street and Colonel By (where the canal meets the river), and at the Dows Lake Pavilion, on the southern end of the canal.

As for getting out on the water, the Dows Lake Pavilion offers canoe and paddleboat rentals in summer for use on the canal. The Ottawa River is a trickier proposition since there’s been substantial hydro-electric development along almost its entire length, including a major dam within sight of the Parliament Buildings. But if you have the means to get right out of town (read: a car) there is some serious whitewater action to be had on the river about an hour west of the city. Wilderness Tours has been a major player in keeping this last stretch of “unharnessed” water preserved, and they offer rafting, kayaking, and other adventure fare like bungee jumping.

And of course, if you can make it to Ottawa in January or February, no visit is complete without a skate on the frozen Rideau Canal, the world’s longest skating rink and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Skate rentals are available at NCC shacks at regular intervals along the canal’s 7km length. Ottawa’s Winterlude festival takes place on the first three weekends in February, with ice sculpting, skating shows, concerts and more.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Art-lovers should start at the National Gallery of Canada, which features big-name traveling exhibitions as well as a permanent collection of Canadian and Aboriginal artwork. The gallery is located above the river, just behind Parliament hill; nearby, below the Chateau Laurier Hotel, is the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (temporarily closed for construction at the time of writing). Just across the bridge in Gatineau is the Canadian Museum of Civilization, a must-see if you’re at all interested in Aboriginal culture and history. The museum also has an IMAX movie theater and features traveling exhibits, usually on major archaeological finds from other cultures. The National Arts Centre, at the intersection of Elgin and Wellington Streets, across from the Chateau Laurier, is home to an orchestra, a variety of theatre productions in English and French, concerts, dance, and more. Just west of downtown, overlooking the river, is the recently-opened Canadian War Museum, a wonderfully thoughtful look at just over one hundred years of Canadian military history. The museum manages to combine respect for Canada’s veterans with a serious consideration of war and its impact on servicemen and civilians alike; there is a lot more than dusty old medals to see here. A little further west again, on Wellington Street, you’ll find the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) which has just moved into a spankin’ new space in the bottom of a high-rise of “luxury eco-condos” - whatever that means.

Summer means outdoor festivals, and lots of them. July 1 is Canada Day, when the city loosens its collective necktie and throws a red-and-white maple leaf street party in the downtown core. The next three weeks of July belong to Bluesfest – believe it or not, the second-largest blues festival in North America, after Chicago. Headliners tend to come from a range of musical backgrounds (this past summer I saw Bob Dylan, The White Stripes, Van Morrison, George Clinton and Manu Chao within days of each other) while the smaller stages feature more authentic blues acts from around the world. In August the Ottawa Folk Festival and the Ottawa Jazz Festival hit town – the jazz fest has in recent years attracted names like Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, and Diana Krall.

ABORIGINAL OTTAWA

Famed explorer Samuel de Champlain was one of the first Europeans to lay eyes on the stretch of river that now runs through the nation’s capital – he called it la grande riviere des algoumequins, after the Algonquin people who lived on its shores and traveled up and down its length. Today, Aboriginal Experiences offers a taste of that heritage, with a variety of packages aimed at showcasing native storytelling, crafts, food, song and dance. The events take place from June to September on Victoria Island, easily accessible from the Portage Bridge just west of downtown.

GREEN EATS

Local coffee chain Bridgehead is the place to go for fair-trade lattes, free wi-fi, fresh soups and sandwiches (try the spicy thai tofu!), and a good range of herbal and caffeinated loose-leaf teas. There are locations scattered around the city, including one at Bank and Albert near the Parliament buildings, one near the GCTC on Wellington (west of downtown) and one on Elgin Street, south of the National War Monument and not far from the canal.

For self-serve, pay-by-weight vegetarian buffets, try The Table (across from the GCTC on Wellington) or The Green Door (on Main Street, near the Pretoria Bridge over the canal). Both serve a mix of Asian fusion and veggie takes on old comfort food favorites like lasagna or ratatouille – think Moosewood Cookbook. They make an effort to use local and/or organic produce, and have at least some vegan options every day.

The Byward Market isn’t just for bar-hoppers and buskers – there really is a market here too, though it’s more touristy than your average farmer’s market. For less maple candy and more fresh produce, try the Parkdale Market, on Parkdale near Wellington (again, near the GCTC just west of downtown), open every day of the week from May to November. Herb and Spice is a local grocery chain emphasizing organic options and locally-produced foods – not just fresh produce but prepared meals from local caterers, baked goods from small-scale bakeries, and so on. There’s a location downtown on Bank near Somerset, and another – you guessed it – on Wellington near the GCTC.

ACCOMMODATION

Ottawa’s hotel scene is primarily geared towards the government conference/convention scene, but that does mean some serious deals are sometimes available on weekends. There are two hostels right in the heart of downtown, the Ottawa Backpackers Inn and the Ottawa Jail Hostel, eerily located in the old Carleton County Jail, and there are also a number of Couchsurfing hosts based in the city. (I know of at least one who’d be happy to have you!)

TRANSPORTATION

The city’s public transit – much as Ottawans love to complain about it – is really pretty good. There is one light rail link in addition to a large fleet of buses. Ottawa’s OCTranspo connects with Gatineau’s STO at the Rideau Centre, in the heart of downtown. There are regular, fast connections to the airport and the train station. Also, most Ottawa city buses are now outfitted for “rack and roll”, meaning that you can cycle around downtown and then load your bike onto the front of the bus and ride out to the Greenbelt for some more pedaling.

Last updated: 16 March 2008

A few years ago I was trying to make a flyer at Kinkos. I handed my rough draft to this goth-looking, pierced eyebrow kid, and asked if there was a way to switch around some of the images and text.

“Look dude,” he said, sliding the sheet back to me, and then pointing to the empty rows of computers. “There’s no magic here. Try Microsoft Word.”

Remember this when you’re trying to break into travel writing professionally, and dealing with busy editors: There’s no magic. Getting paid travel writing assignments comes down to doing your homework, having your pitch and story tight, and not wasting time. Here are 10 tips to help you.

1. Blog. If you don’t have a blog already, start one now. For a step by step guide to on how to do this, click here. Editors don’t want to dig through some obscure website’s archives looking for your clips, nor waste time opening .pdf files. They want to go right to your blog, check to see that indeed you can write, that you’re already generating comments, traffic, etc. It doesn’t matter if you pick up a free blog on blogspot or wordpress.com. Just get going. Get writing. Start gaining visibility today.

2. Study the websites where you want to contribute and get on their radar screen. If you are interested in writing for a particular website or magazine, you should know the answers to these questions: Who are the editors? Who are the publishers? Who are their regular contributors? What kind of stories do they run? What subjects have been covered recently?

If possible, before sending your first story pitch / submission, get on the radar screen by commenting regularly to others’ stories. Write letters to the editor. Editors (and publishers) love these free contributions. You’ll already have a foot in the door.

3. Learn how to pitch a story. Pretend you’ll be receiving the pitch instead of sending it. How does it address the site’s content needs? How is it original? How does it fit with the magazine’s overall style? If you can’t immediately answer these questions, chances are you need to do more homework.

Finally, don’t waste time telling the editor why you’d be perfect for telling this particular story. Hook him or her with the story itself, giving a sample of it that keeps them wanting to read more. Usually the way you write the pitch will be a pretty good indicator as to whether you’re the right person to tell this story or not.

4. Be patient, then follow up. All too often your email ends up buried. If you haven’t heard back from the editor in a couple weeks (or months–check the site or magazine guidelines for response times) follow up with him or her. Compose a new email rather than amending the original as these can sometimes stay buried.

Editors are human–they might have simply read your story, liked it, but forgotten to respond because it was the end of the day and they thought they’d do it tomorrow. Sometimes the right follow up letter is the difference between getting published or not.

5. Think long-term and play this into your pitches. Editors of travel blogs are looking for regular contributors they can count on for content each month. Knock them out with your first pieces, and then suggest a series of stories that you could work on and submit over several weeks or months.

6. Send short thank-you notes and feedback. Whether your submission was published or not, send a quick thank-you to your editor. Offer concise feedback to how the story came out. (Editors need praise too.) Too often, the good communication that led up to a publication (or not) suddenly disappears. Perhaps the editor liked your story but it just wasn’t the right fit, only he or she didn’t have time to tell you. Sending him or her a thank-you note encourages them to respond.

7. Networking. Take advantage of online and offline networking as much as you can. Get on social networking sites like Facebook and Matador. Do you have an account on Flickr.com? Are you a member of del.icio.us? Stumble Upon? Editors want to see that you can help their publication gain visibility across the internet, not only by the strength of your story but by whatever connections you can add.

8. Learn basic HTML and photo-editing skills. As travel writing continues to take place online, the more you can offer your editor, the happier he or she will be to work with you. Don’t cop out with “I’m not computer savvy.” Invest a few hours of your time each week to learn how to resize a photo, or provide hyperlinks in whatever format your editor asks.

9.Establish a sustainable lifestye. Building your writing skills, networking, pitching, publishing: it all takes months, years, decades. If you really want to get good at this, it will help to live in a place where you can afford to spend the maximum amount of time reading, writing, revising. Most of us have to make sacrifices, such as living at home, or in a state of semi-permanent travel / homelessness. Either way, make an honest assessment of what living arrangements are the most productive.

10. Come correct. Embrace your unique travel experiences and perceptions. Don’t front. If you’re not a surfer (or whatever it might be), don’t write a story pretending to be one, because the false notes always come through in the writing. Instead, identify and develop your particular niche. Maybe you work with kids? If so, you’ll see the world differently than an architect. Work this into your travel writing. You’re always your own best bet.

To achieve a freer traveling lifestyle I’ve worked as a valet, carpenter, ski resort parking lot attendant, camp counselor, freelance writer, and English Teacher, among other jobs. What seasonal jobs have you had? What’s worked best for you?

We posted these questions to the Matador Travel Community; here were some of the responses:

1. High-end adventure travel guide. Work your way around the world leading luxury vacations for groups of 10-20. Itineraries range from biking through Tuscany, to camping in Yosemite, to sailing in Croatia. Your job is to organize and execute the best “active” vacation your guests have ever had. Why? Because you love to see people have new, eye-opening experiences, and because it’s your job and the tips pay the bills. Pros: You’re getting paid to be in places and do things people only dream about. Cons: You’re working the entire time and catering to the every need of some extremely high-maintenance guests. Job can be seasonal or year-round depending on language skills. Apply for a job at http://backroads.com

–submitted by Ben Polansky

2. Fishing Guide

One of the opportunities I had in the past, but really didn’t take full advantage of, was working at a fishing lodge on the Kenai Pennisula of Alaska. It really does change your world-view to be waking up directly in the shadow of a green mountain, knowing you have the choice to climb that mountain, raft along that river, fish for red salmon, or make your way towards the ocean and hunt bottom-dwelling halibut.

There’s one particular lodge that has a great boss with good pay, flexible hours, and benefits: Gwin’s Lodge. Whenever a tour company has a last-minute opening on a adventure, they offer it free of charge to this guy, and he in turn is fair deciding which employees deserve a break.

Advice:

Bring a car or prepare to hitchhike; the closest town is 45 miles away. Make friends with your fellow workers; they come from the continental US, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Come during the summer months; although it’s tempting to see Alaska in the winter, you’ll get bored very quickly trapped inside. It’s easy to feel isolated; stop worrying about internet access, the foods you have to have, going to the gym, and shopping. There’s so much around you, if you can learn to appreciate it.

–submitted by Turner Wright

3.Rickshaw Runner

In high school and college I spent two summers working part-time as a rickshaw runner in Ottawa, Canada. I was outdoors, exercising, meeting people and earning cash in hand. I made my own hours, paid a flat rate to rent my ’shaw each night, and whatever I earned I kept. Best of all, though, I got to know every café, dive bar, busker, and street-corner drunk of Ottawa’s Byward Market area. The downside? Earnings varied from day to day depending on the weather and the crowds, but rent was due regardless.

A number of North American cities have rickshaw companies, and far more run cycle-rickshaws, or pedi-cabs. It’s perfect seasonal work: my company, for example, had runners in Toronto and Ottawa in the summers, and Daytona and Orlando in the winters.

American cycle-rickshaw companies, by state:
http://www.ibike.org/economics/pedicab-usa.htm

Cycle-rickshaw companies outside the States, including tons in Canada and the UK:
http://www.ibike.org/economics/pedicab-intl.htm

–submitted by Eva Holland

4.Teaching English overseas can be an ideal way to earn money and experience a foreign culture simultaneously, but it’s essential to do your homework before applying.

I worked as an English teacher for two years in Hokkaido, Japan, with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. This is probably the single best English Teaching job available. The pay is good - about $30,000 USD per year, tax free, with benefits. My rent was free. You must be a college graduate, and although no knowledge of Japanese is necessary, you should be able to demonstrate a sincere interest in learning about Japan.

JET is a government program, and participants teach in the public school system. Most English teaching jobs are with private companies, and this is where you’ll find a huge range of quality. On of the biggest Japanese companies, NOVA, recently went bust - leaving teachers stranded without pay. Be careful. Talk with current participants, and take company literature with a grain of salt.

You’ll make the most money teaching in a rich country like Japan or South Korea, especially if you’re good about saving. Teaching in a place like Thailand can be rewarding too, and the cost of living will be low, but you also won’t have much of a salary.

The most important advice is to think hard about your motivations and goals. Do you want to make money? Do you want to learn a language yourself? Do you want to just have a good time and put off a ‘real’ job for a few years? Be honest with yourself, and you’ll find a job that works for you.

–submitted by Tim Patterson

5. Youth Guide. Back in high school, I won a travel scholarship from an organization called EF. At that time, one scholarship was given to a student from each state in the US and one student from each province in Canada, so there were a passel of us who traveled abroad together, and that year’s trip went to England, France, and Switzerland.

Fast forward ten years. I was working as the assistant director of a mental health treatment program in NYC. I hated it. I hated 9-5; I hated middle management; I hated our setting (a basement with no windows and no circulating air); and I realized I was a great therapist, but not for people with mental illnesses. I was constantly agitating for a better working environment, which got me into perpetual trouble, and one day my boss said, “How are we going to work together? You’re so oppositional!” and I found myself replying, “We’re not, because I quit.” Yep, without a job. After a month-long stint at another agency (I quit the day the maintenance guy decided to barge in on a therapy session, crawl onto my desk and begin cleaning the air vent with a toilet brush), and a several months long stint as a personal assistant for a psychoanalyst in NYC who hit the bottle between sessions and interviewed me without shoes on, I found a job posting with EF… sounded great! Travel! Speak Spanish! Teach kids to love travel! I applied, I interviewed, I got the job. EF’s American division (recently renamed EF Smithsonian because of a partnership with the Smithsonian) typically only hires guides– “tour directors” in their lingo– to work in the city where they live (Boston, NYC, SF, Washington, D.C., etc), but they’re always short-handed on Spanish speaking TDs and I was shuttling back and forth between NYC, DC (my first tour was Bush’s re-election inauguration–argh) and Puerto Rico, where EF runs 5 and 7 day tours. I was here so much I convinced Francisco that we should move here.

The job has its amazing aspects… it IS travel and if you’re good at it, you can touch kids’ lives. Kids who have never seen the ocean. Never been on a plane. That kind of thing. But lots of good ole U.S. of A. entitlement, too, which ultimately drove me nuts and made me quit after my first tour this year after two years on the road. Other amazing things: You can pick and choose when you want to work. You’re largely an independent operator– you have 24/7 responsibility as long as you’re with the group, but that being said, there’s no boss breathing down your neck. You get paid cash tips, which is great, and they used to (but no longer) pay in cash. You can sometimes get sent to other cities–especially during the busiest part of the tour season (Easter week, especially) to work. And they ALWAYS need TDs. Always. Because they’ve grown so fast and haven’t done strategic planning for dealing with some aspects of their trips and operations that turn-over is really high among TDs and office staff. Decent money–though, according to other TDs who did this work year round by patching EF tours together with tours with other companies, it wasn’t nearly the going rate. All I’ll say is I could work hard and do some back to back tours for 4 months or 6 months and make enough to live on.

Here’s their website: http://www.smithsonianstudenttravel.com/

They’re honestly so in need of TDs that anyone interested could just call up, ask to speak with Bronwyn Holst, and apply and interview. EF also has divisions all over the world and has an adult division called Go Ahead, where tour guides/directors don’t have to live where they’ll be working. That always drove me nuts, actually, because they send guides to Latin America who know nothing.

If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

–sumbitted by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Contributors:

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A youth worker in San Francisco and part-time adventure travel guide, Ben Polansky is the co-founder of Matador

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Turner Wright is a freelance writer currently in Japan.

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Matador Contributor Eva Holland also blogs for WorldHum.com and Vagablogging.net. (www.notcoming.com).

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Regular contributor Tim Patterson is also the contributing editor at www.bravenewtraveler.com.

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One of Matador’sregular contributors, Julie Schwietert Collazo lives in New York, Mexico City, and San Juan.

After five drivers, four vehicles, and two days, we could finally say we had been on an African safari in Tanzania. It was supposed to be a “three-hour tour” of sorts – basically a half-day excursion from our friends’ home in Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park, home to the usual safari wildlife, including the rare and elusive tree-climbing lion. But there would be no lions that day (not anyone’s fault in particular) and a string of mishaps as long as the Nile (basically our fault).

There was Mr. No-Show driver at 5 a.m. the first day, and Mr. Rip-Off-The-Tourists about a half-hour later. On day 2, we had Mr. Don’t-Listen-So-Good driving the Toyota Wobbly Wheel (Stall-Out Edition), Mr. Replacement Driver who couldn’t take us all the way home, and Mr. Replacement Driver No. 2 in the Toyota Blowout (Rubber Inner-Tube Edition).

It’s a really funny story, and if we had a couple hours and some Kilimanjaro Lager, I’d give you the full version.

Five cars. Four drivers. Two days. One safari.

I say this was basically our fault because we didn’t do sufficient homework before setting out. During and after the safari debacle, the most common phrases coming out of our mouths were, “Next time, we’ll…” So, here’s my Top 10 “Next time, we’ll…” List (Safari From Hell Edition):

1. You get what you pay for. Go with a major tour operator, and check references. (resist the urge to do business with a friend or acquaintance who is giving you a really good price. It’s better to pay a little more and have a good experience.)

2. Try to meet your driver the day before so that you can assess his English skills and capability. If you meet several drivers and find a driver you like, make sure you get the one about whom you’re confident. Clearly state your expectations to the driver and your guide before you leave for the safari. Avoid scenarios involving several drivers if possible by planning ahead.

3. Inspect the car when you meet your driver. Major tour operators should ensure an operable vehicle. There should be some contractual obligation on the part of the tour operator to provide a vehicle that is not only comfortable, but safe. Take a swing around the block if necessary, and if you’re unsure about anything, demand another car. Simply put, a bad vehicle will ruin your safari.

4. Make sure someone in the car (if not the driver) speaks both English and the predominate trade language in the country. If it’s Kenya or Tanzania, Swahili. If it’s Burkina Faso, French. And make sure your translator understands the expectations you communicated to the driver and is ready to back you up if a problem arises.

5. Arrange to pay after the Safari, and negotiate a contingency payment should anything go wrong. If the tour operator guarantees quality, then this shouldn’t be a problem. If they demand money in advance to pay for gas, then you’re probably not dealing with a major tour operator. (see No. 1)

6. Have a flexible schedule so that you can say “no” and go a different day if things don’t look right. Don’t get pigeon-holed into taking an expensive or low-quality safari. For most westerners, safaris are a rarity, if not once-in-a-lifetime. Make sure it’s special by giving yourself enough time and having a couple possible days to go.

7. Don’t let the driver rush you. The less driving he does, the less fuel he burns, yielding the greatest profit. And he’ll want to get home early, if possible. You paid for a whole day, so make sure you get it if you want it. Your chances of seeing rare and beautiful wildlife are also greater if you can occasionally kill the engine and wait it out for a few minutes. Keep in mind the driver is working for you.

8. Get advice about which park is best from sources outside the tour business. Tour operators will try to convince you that the best park is the one that will make them the most profit (because it is smaller, closer, etc.), while other tourists or people with no connection to the safari industry are more likely to tell you the truth.

9. Remember that animals in parks are still wild, so no tour operator can guarantee that you’ll see the specific rare beast you’ve been dreaming about.

10. Relax. You’re in Africa. If everything goes like it is supposed to, it’ll be surprising, so don’t get bent out of shape when it doesn’t.

______________________________

One of Matador’s newest contributors, Steve Holt is a freelance writer living in Boston, eager to explore the world and tell its story.

Online research is quickly taking the place of guidebooks and travel agents, especially amongst independent travelers. In this article, Craig Martin looks at his top 10 websites for finding budget accommodation.

Hostels

Unsurprisingly, hostels often offer the best value for money. Most hostel booking sites supply ratings and reviews from past visitors (and you can expect an email requesting a review soon after your stay). Keep an eye open for booking costs; most take a non-refundable percentage as their share, but some sites also charge a booking fee or membership fee.

1. Hostelbookers is normally my first stop for hostel accommodation. No booking fees and 24-7 online chat/customer service make the difference. Although listings include B&B’s and budget hotels, hostels make up the bulk of options available. One-click list ordering by customer rating or by price make it easy to narrow options down.

2. Hostelworld has recently undergone a massive facelift and, as a result, gives a smooth and hassle-free browsing experience. Hostels are available all over the world and listings also include B&B’s and budget hotels. Of note? Their cityguide podcasts and most-popular hostels of the month to help out the cool crowd.

3. Hostelz has a spartan site design, but is heavy on information. It prides itself on not allowing hostel managers to censor reviews and its large database of options (but I wonder if they could allow spelling and grammar to be edited). One of the site’s major draws is the real-life contact details for the hostels themselves!

4. Gomio has joined the club recently by removing booking fees, making some of their listings cheaper than other sites. Navigation is easy enough, but not as user-friendly as I would like. This puts me off, but since they specialise in European hostels it is perfect for those heading in that direction.

5. Krumlov House is an excellent independent hostel in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic and I trust their advice. Their links page is the gateway to other “homely” hostels around the world, so I always take the time to glance at their hand-picked suggestions.

6. HI Hostels is the last stop on the hostel route. Although Hostelling International/the Youth Hostel Association used to be the place to stay, independent options are often cleaner, friendlier and more comfortable. Saying that, some HI Hostels are unbelievably fantastic. Discounts are available for members (and memberships are cheaper in some countries. Cough. Bulgaria. Cough.).

Cheap Hotels

Many of the hostel-booking websites above list budget hotels amongst their options, but these two sites can help you to splurge!

7. Superbreak can just supply accommodation options but also offers package tours and inclusive “short breaks”. I normally just look for a place to sleep using the “Find Hotel Breaks” feature. If I want a treat or hostel sites haven’t turned any suitable options this is my first stop.

8. Last Minute fills in when Superbreak lets me down. The deals here are a bit out of my regular price range, but excellent hotels, and I mean five-star, can be found for 50% off the rack rate. You certainly couldn’t travel the world like this (without a serious income stream at least!), but it’s perfect for a week’s pampering or a weekend escape.

Community

What is travel without people? Not much. Hostels often provide lively encounters, but these last two sites provide opportunities to connect with the land and its people.

9. WWOOF is not the sound a dog makes, but “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”. They are one of the most popular work-for-accommodation organisations around. A small fee will gain you entry into the organisation and sign you up for a newsletter with opportunities around the world. Remember: “dot org”, not “dot com”.

10. Couchsurfing isn’t yet an Olympic sport, but they’re doing it at Bondai. This website — and the community that gives it life — offer beds for travelers in spare rooms and on couches around the world. People open up their homes and often prove to be generous and enjoyable hosts; make sure to return the favour.

That’s my pick for the top 10 websites for cheap accommodation. Think you can add to it? Drop a comment below and let us all in on the secret.

________________________________

One of Matador’s newest contributors, Craig Martin has been living on the road since leaving Auckland, New Zealand in February 2006. In fact, he hasn’t slept in the same bed for more than two weeks all year! He podcasts at the indie travel podcast and, along with his wife Linda, regularly blogs at Our Crazy Travels. He’s about to go to sleep in a bed he booked using Superbreak.

Although bringing your pet when you travel may seem impossible, in most cases it’s surprisingly easy as long as you plan ahead. Please read these ten tips to help get going. Your dog (or cat) will thank you.

10. Check your destination country’s pet health requirements several months in advance.

Every country has its own requirements regarding required health vaccinations, inspections upon arrival, and, sometimes, quarantine. It’s important that you know exactly what the requirements are several months in advance. For example, certain countries specify that your pet must have a rabies vaccination less than a year old but at but no less than 30 days from date of flight. Don’t get stuck having to change your ticket. Prepare for all of the requirements before you go by calling the consulates of the countries you’ll be visiting and asking about their requirements or checking USDA website here.. If you’re going to be traveling between two or more countries without returning to your home country, you may want to locate a vet in the areas where you’ll be staying so that a new pet health certificate can be completed if necessary.

9. Make sure your pet has a clean bill of health.

Regardless of the destination, most travel into another country will require that you present a pet health certificate to confirm that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date. There are typically strict requirements that establish how far in advance of your trip the certificate needs to be completed—usually no more than 5 to 10 days before your departure.

8. Check your carrier’s regulations.

Almost all airlines, trains, and buses have specific regulations that apply to pets on the go, and those regulations can vary greatly from one carrier to another. Check online or call the carrier to ask about pet regulations. Some of the questions to ask include: How many pets can be on-board at once? What are the boarding requirements? What are the pet carrier or crating requirements? Do you need to show up at the airport earlier if you’re traveling with your pet?

7. Prepare your pet’s carrier.

First, make sure that your pet’s carrier fits the transportation provider’s requirements for size, type (hard side vs. soft side), and interior (lined vs. not lined). If it’s allowed in the cabin, make sure that the pet can fit in the carrier comfortably and still fit under the seat. If you’ll be traveling by air, ask for an aisle seat; middle seats are typically storage sites for electronic equipment, and it’s unlikely a carrier will fit well under that seat. Make sure that your pet’s leash and some plastic bags, paper towels, and handwipes are stored in or near the carrier for quick access if needed.

6. Prepare for security screening.

Most U.S. airports require that you remove your pet (if it is a dog or cat) from its carrier and place it in your arms while passing through the security checkpoint. If your pet is unaccustomed to loud noises, you may want to practice a few times before arriving at the airport by exposing your pet to some high traffic places so he or she won’t be scared or startled.

5. Make sure your pet has ID.

Even if you don’t tag your luggage, make sure you tag your pet’s crate or carrier, whether in the cabin or in cargo, and make sure your pet is wearing a tag on its collar with its name and your contact information.

4. Carry contact information.

Note your pet’s health information and vet contact information among your documents. This seems simple, but lots of people forget to take their vet’s contact information with them. Your home vet can be a great resource while abroad, though, so don’t forget!

3. Check the pets-welcome policy for your lodgings

Increasingly, non-pet friendly lodgings are cracking down on enforcement, some charging a “heavy cleaning” or “convenience fee”—in many cases non-refundable—if they discover that you have a pet. Be sure to ask about the pet policy for the places where you plan to stay. Check out www.petswelcome.com for a list of places around the world that are pet friendly.

2. Get to know your pet’s travel needs.

If you’ve never traveled with your pet before, you may be surprised to see how different he or she is on the road. After your first trip, you’ll begin to get an idea of your pet’s specific needs and plan for them accordingly. If you have a dog, be sure to walk it before arriving at the airport. Keep a few plastic bags in your bag for disposal of waste.

1. Last call checklist:

Check your bags once more before you go: Leash? Meds (if liquids, are they stored appropriately)? Food? Water? Water / Food Bowls? Vet record and contact information?

_______________________________

One of Matador’sregular contributors, Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York, Mexico City, and San Juan. She has a BA in English and Women’s Studies, a Masters of Social Work, and is working on a PhD in Literature at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe.

Photo by Ryan Libre. www.idioimagers.org

You know you secretly want to be a National Geographic photographer. But it takes a lot more than hoping. Self-learning is fun and cheap, but takes discipline. Check out these nine steps and resources.

1. Study photo books. Go to the public library or local book store and look at photo books while asking questions such as: “What makes this photo great?” “Why are these photos side by side?” “Why does this photographer only shoot B&W?” If you do this on a regular basis it can dramatically improve your photography and is enjoyable!

2. Take notes. Self learning can lack focus unless you take notes so you can follow up on questions and ideas. I started with a list of specific things I wanted to learn about photography. “What is White Balance and how do I use it?” “How slow can I hand hold the camera without getting a blurry photo?” “What is the rule of 1/3?” etc. Many years later I’m still adding new questions to this same piece of paper.

3. Podcasts. Check out: Jeff Curto’s Camera Position Podcast and his History of Photography Podcast. The Magnum Photo Essay Podcast is a cooperative of distinctive photographers worldwide. A must see. Click here for more of of the best photography podcasts.

5. iTunes U Ever wanted to study “Photography as Inquiry” at MIT, or “Documentary Studies” at Duke, but don’t have the time, not to mention the money? With iTunes U you can put them on you laptop and study them at your leisure for FREE!

iTunes U is new and is adding courses all the time. Be be sure to search for “photography” and see what classes, guest speakers and MOMA events come up. If you have iTunes, you already have iTunes U, most people just don’t know it. These are real college classes and have a lot of good learning inside, but just like real college classes they aren’t always thrilling. Pick your classes and teachers carefully.

6. Self CritiqueThis is no doubt the hardest part of self learning. Self critique means many things. For example, when evaluating a specific photograph, asking “how could this be better?” can also be translated into “what have I learned in the last 6 months?” The nature of critique is that 2 ideas are better than one, and 3 better than 2. This is why no one is truly “self taught.” We need others’ ideas and opinions to grow.

7. Getting Kind but Critical Opinions Luckily there are good places to get feedback and opinions about your work outside of learning institutions. A good place to start is someone close to you, someone you trust to be honest and kind but also critical. Another good option is the internet. There are many photo-sharing communities, such as Earth Trek that offer quality and critical feedback for your photos for free. Another good option is posting your photos to a travel community such as matador and begin a dialog with other travel photographers whose work you admire. The best option is to find a professional who can give you personal attention. Try a local camera shop or even look in the phone book for photographers in your area.

8. Workshops as reinforcement. Nearly everyone who is serious about photography takes workshops from time to time. This includes top pros! There are only 2 ways to be finished learning about photography, give up or die. It’s this ongoing struggle that keeps us engaged and youthful and it’s never too soon nor too late to take a workshop.

9. Let the Path be your Guide Don’t wait till you are ready to start being a photographer. Let the path tell you when you are ready. Start showing your work in shows; start trying to get it published today. You will get rejections and make mistakes, but it is without a doubt the fastest way to learn.

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Matador’s expert on Hokkaido, Ryan Libre is a freelance photographer based in Japan and Thailand. Please visit his online gallery at www.idioimagers.org and join him for a photo workshop in Chiang Mai.