Photo by Zebra Pares Feature photo bya.saliga

Editing your video

The following services allow you to upload and edit your video, then compress the results for distribution.

Mogulus

Mogulus is more of a roll-your-own TV station than a simple editor. You are able to stream live and on-demand content as well as a “linear” TV-style player. Embed graphics, use news-style tickers, and work with inbuilt-templates or build your own.

Matador TV, anyone?

Photo by Steve Garfield

Jaycut

Jaycut provides one of the smoothest and desktop-like environments for editing video online: it features drag and drop capabilities allowing you to quickly build a timeline from a gallery of several clips. All the normal cropping and editing tools are available, along with a library of title effects.

Jaycut sets itself apart from competitors with its collaborative abilities, and the ability to upload directly from one’s phone might be a killer feature for travellers’ spontaneous shots.

Unlike many competitors, Jaycut allows you to download your file as well as embed it directly from their server.

Jumpcut et al

Upload your videos directly from your computer then crop, re-arrange, add visual and sound effects to complete your masterpiece.

Now owned by Yahoo, Jumpcut also allows you to e-mail clips to your account or import videos from Facebook and Flickr. Although you can embed movies you create here, you cannot download them for further distribution.

Similar tools are Muvee Mix and Rifftrax Cuts.

Converting file formats

You spend ages creating your video, only to find it won’t play on your host’s strange operating system.No worries; several powerful, free online conversion tools are available.

If you have a relatively new computer, there are definite advantages to downloading a conversion programme and making use of that processing power. Older machines and netbooks will struggle with large, processor intensive files.

Photo by Travelin’ Librarian

Zamzar

Zamzar, if you can remember the name, is to online file conversion what chewing gum is to MacGyver: almost certain salvation. With the free (advert-supported) version, you can upload files of up to 1G and choose from many end-formats.

Subscribers are allowed larger uploads, ad-free pages and faster processing time. Zamzar isn’t just good for movies. You can also convert documents, audio and several other file types.

Media Converter

Otherwise, try Media Converter. They not only convert from uploaded files, but will also convert from a URI or rip videos from flash players like YouTube.

Distribution

Now that you’ve crafted your video, you want to share it with as many people as possible. It’s time to upload it to YouTube, right? Well, not really.

Tubemogul
The king of video distribution is undoubtedly Tubemogul, followed by a couple of niche travel sites that Tubemogul doesn’t pick up.

Do one upload, one set of notes, one set of tags, and see your video launched on the following sites:

• AOL Video
• Blip.tv
• Crackle
• Daily Motion
• Google Video
• Graspr
• Howcast
• I2TV
• Imeem
• Metacafe
• MySpace
• Revver
• Sclipo
• StupidVideo
• Veoh
• Webcastr
• Yahoo Video
• YouTube
• Viddler
• Vimeo
• 5min

That’s amazing distribution for one upload. It gets better though: using the Tubemogul dashboard you can track views and comments on many of these systems. It’s a one-stop shop for your video tracking.

It still behooves you to get out into some of these communities and comment, network and build relationships if you want to get some views to your work, though.

Three places Tubemogul doesn’t support are also of interest to travellers:

Facebook

If you play within the blue and white walls of this closed garden, you’re probably going to want to upload your video here to be tagged and enjoyed by your closest friends.

Those of us with limited bandwidth or time use the YouTube Video Box application to embed our videos or simply create links using the “Post a link” feature.

Travelistic

A small but growing video site aimed specifically at travellers. At present it’s got fewer than 10,000 videos so you have the potential to become a leading user of the site. Limited by its niche, it’s a perfect place for us Matadorians to share our passion for travel.

Flickr

Better known for its photo sharing prowess, flickr now handles video, too. Video can supplement your photo stream and it can be a great distribution point if you have already built a solid number of contacts within the service.

Other resources

Many more video resources are available through Mashable’s video toolbox of 150+ resources.

Published in June 2007, some of these links are rather out of date. I would be remiss if I didn’t point you towards Make Internet TV’s great site for people dabbling their toes into online video. Their simple step-by-step guide walks you through each step of the process, from equipment to promotion.

Community Connection:

Keep an eye out for Craig’s upcoming ebook on travel blogging and multimedia podcasting, to be released through Indie Travel Guides in the middle of 2009.

WordPress’s new theme directory doesn’t yet give good results when searching for “travel,” so here are 20 great WordPress themes for travel blogs.

Polaroid

Hit them right between the eyes with a massive, Polaroid style photo of your eternal holiday. It’s easy to change and randomize what images appear so you can keep things fresh.

Get this theme

Fontella

While great for featuring your latest posts with big, glossy pics, Fontella does make you dig into the site for more updates and information.

Get this theme

Discovery

Call me modern, but a handheld GPS says a lot more about travel than a 17th century compass. You, however, can unleash your inner Indiana Jones with the discovery theme.

Get this theme

Victoria

I love the way Victoria breaks up “blog” and “feature” posts straight out of the box. This is a great theme for someone looking to do narrative travelogue as well as write informational or magazine style features.

Get this theme

Cutline 3c

The three column cutline theme is simple and SEO friendly. It doesn’t take a lot of work to maintain and, although a little basic, does a good job of keeping everything in fine order.

Get this theme

I feel dirty

Covered with paint splashes and scribbles, this theme allows your inner artist to hack away on the WordPress page. Its design is clear and easy to navigate… if you can stop the pages from peeling away.

Get this theme

Oriental

Oriental’s bright red and yellows with lovely cherry blossom line art make this a graceful theme for your Asian adventure. Mosaic-style blocks give lift and texture to a simple layout.

Get this theme

Foliage Mod

This green and grungy template introduces a little play into your theme with a cool pull-down menu and grassy effects.
Get this theme

Best Travel

It’s a little cliche, but nothing says “I’m on a beautiful, tropical beach and you’re not” quite like Best Travel. Bright orange highlights give life to a potentially dull theme.

Get this theme

Open Air

Light and spry, the Open Air theme allows you to showcase a stunning landscape photo with semi-transparent information panes hovering above it.

Get this theme

Travelog

Great design: selotaped photos, hand-scribbled RSS button. I like its raw and cluttered effect. So will your visitors.

Get this theme

Adventure

I’m a sucker for passport stamps…and now I can have one on my blog! Get your very own border control-vetted travel theme.

Get this theme

Dilectio

Colourful yet stylish, Dilectio gives a clean, uncluttered feel and smooth relaxing lines.

Get this theme

Bluebird

Minimalistic, straight-forward and blue. This light and airy theme features a stylish, singing bluebird: perfect for forest lovers and addicted tweeters.

Get this theme

Travelogue

It’s been through a few transitions, but the Travelogue theme is still a great way to showcase your trip. With stamped cardboard effects, it gives a Get Smart-era feel to your travels.

Get this theme

Nature Nouveau

A vine creeps up the side of the page to explode in a floral display at the top. With relaxing colours, this theme captures a carefree, work-less lifestyle like few others.

Get this theme

Photo and video themes:

Nautilus

Let your images do all the talking. Nautilus is a sharp, clean design with some clever touches.

Get this theme

Nishita

Nishita’s logical layout and photocentric force makes for another great photo theme. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, this baby’s going to serve you well.

Get this theme

Photo WP

An “on-black” photo theme which will reward vibrant colours. It’s built from the ground up to make it easy for photographers to become bloggers! Thanks to Flickr integration, it shouldn’t take too long to get things firing from the world’s internet cafes.

Get this theme

Revolution TV

Going to vlog your way around the world? The hottest new theme for WordPress video blogs is undoubtedly Revolution TV, which puts your video content right at the front of what’s happening.

Get this theme

Community Connection

Want to start your own WordPress travel blog? Check out Craig’s instructions on setting up a WordPress Travel Blog account or wait for the upcoming instructions on creating your own self-hosted WordPress install.

Photo by ptomlins

Feature photo by abmiller99

Ever wanted to try floating 50 tons of steel down a narrow canal?

Summer is the time to hit the waterways of Europe and here is how to do it.

Listen to this short podcast to find out what qualifications you need to put a boat in the water.

ICC training centres in Britain can be found through the Royal Yachting Association.

Testing in a foreign language is difficult, but if you are multilingual you should be able to find a CEVNI/ICC testing centre in a canal near you!

If, like most of us, you can’t afford the rental costs associated with canal boating, gather some ideas for working along the canals of France and the rest of Europe. Why not try finding work on the water by working as a lock-keeper or working on a hotel barge?

This can be a great way to meet new people, hone your language skills and still enjoy the slow, relaxing life of a canal boat.

Enjoy more podcasts by checking out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

All Photos by Trey Ratcliff

Over the last two years Craig Martin has spent countless hours on European trains: he knows his way around. If you’re exploring a sizable chunk of Europe, then a Eurail pass can help ease your organisational hassles and save you a bit of cash.

In this podcast Craig outlines ten tips for Eurail journeys encompassing choosing and buying a pass (visit: railpass.com), plus utilizing it and being aware of discounts and extra charges.

Click below to play.

As you listen, read up on Craig’s companion guide to the 10 European Cities to Stretch Your Dollar this Summer.

Enjoy more travel photography episodes and other podcasts by checking out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

Brazilian boys dancing Capoeira in Norway. Photo: Children At Risk Foundation – CARF. Great podcasts opens windows to people’s lives through audio. What if you could hear these children’s voices, the music they are dancing to?

Successful podcasts are personal, entertaining, informative and engaging. Are yours? Here are some things to think about:

Overall Tone

A personal, and sometimes informal tone differentiates most podcasts from commercial radio. As with any publication, it’s important to know your audience, and some of the most commonly-heard pieces of feedback Linda and I receive on the Indie Travel Podcast is that people appreciate our laid-back, informal style.

Music

Many podcasters use music to good effect. It adds lift and energy to your show. However it can be a annoyance if it’s too loud in comparison with your speech: make sure you balance it well.

Too much or poorly mixed music (common mistake: the music is mixed too loudly) can be a serious deterrent to people listening to your show: people are more likely to skip the track rather than fast-forward through it. When using music during the show think about how it helps you communicate: linking, expanding, adding emotional value.

Theme

Creating a theme for your show gives a professional touch and a familiar point of entry for listeners. This can either be taken from an existing song or, like the Amateur Traveler, custom made.

A common added-value touch is introducing your audience to a new song or new band each episode. A popular marketplace for this is the Podshow Podsafe music network where, after registering your feed and details, you can listen to and download music with creative commons copyright licenses.

Stock sound effects are available for download and use from numerous websites. When choosing them you may have to pay a download fee, but ensure that the sound is “royalty free”. This means you don’t need to pay each time you use it.

When adding music to your show, think about the extra time it will take to produce the show and always respect copyright.

Matador Podcasts: A style guide

The following style guide is aimed as a help for producing podcasts for the Matador Travel network. These are just the basics, however. Many points are worth considering when creating podcasts for other markets.

1. Length

Matador podcasts should be between two to five minutes in length. If you feel you need more time to treat a subject, please check with your editor beforehand.

2. Intros and Outros

Thanks to syndication technologies, media portals and content theft you never know where your podcast is going to end up. Because of this we recommend beginning and ending each episode with your name, the episode title and a mention of the website you’re producing for.

An example introduction:

“Hello and welcome to my third travel photography podcast here on the traveler’s notebook. I’m Ryan Libre.”

An example outro:

“This has been Craig Martin with how to drink wine like a pro for the Traveler’s Notebook dot com.”

2. Informative

Whether you are creating an audio tour, a profile or a how-to, the Matador network aims to connect listeners to people, places, organizations, information, and opportunities that will affect positive change around the world. Make sure your podcast invites the listener to explore new places or communities and gives him or her the resources to do so.

3. Green

Matador is dedicated to promoting and protecting local communities and to drawing attention to issues threatening the health of their watersheds, ecosystems, and overall sustainability. Whenever appropriate, please give green and/or local options for transport, lodging, restaurants, activities, etc., and, if possible, celebrate positive changes taking place in the areas your are covering. Help us protect and preserve the places we visit.

4. Personal

Above all, Matador is a community of travelers. Make sure you engage with us! Ryan Libre does a great job of this in his photography series by making us jealous of where he is whilst giving some background on the places he’s recording from.

5. ID3 Tags

As a minimum requirement, please fill in the following fields:

Name: The track title
Artist: Your name
Year: Year of production
Album: Name of the site you’re producing for. E.g. The Traveler’s Notebook
Comments: Notes on the show. At least:

Produced by [your name] for [site URL].

Genre: “Podcast”
Artwork: Save the icon below and use it as your art (400×400px please):

This is part three in a series on beginning travel podcasting. Part one deals with hardware and software options, whilst part two gives tips for improving the quality of your recording.

To hear some of Matador’s Podcasting talent, check out the Traveler’s Notebook podcast archive. Got something to add? Check out the submission guidelines then get in touch.

It seems as simple as plugging in your microphone, hitting record and letting fly with your insight. That can be the case and, if you’re lucky, will work first time.

But if you’re like most mortals the recording will sound flat or muddy, be filled with loud pops and snaps and have a soothing background hiss. Not the best.

These annoyances can be minimised by using some of the following tricks. Please remember that we’re not talking about setting up a full home studio here; this is travel podcasting right? (For software and hardware needs, reference part one of this series.)

When everything you own is in a backpack you can’t afford to carry several kilos of pro-am studio equipment. However, you can still make your podcasts’ sound quality almost as good.

Removing hiss

Words like gain, reverb and echo don’t mean a lot unless you’re an audiophile. Fortunately, basic knowledge and good software go a long way in helping us use them. Let’s look at creating a “podcast voice” profile using Apple’s Garageband which aims to minimise hiss and avoid vocal flatness.

After some fine-tuning this will ensure that all your recordings sound similar. Unfortunately it’s impossible to achieve true consistency when you’re changing location all the time.

Open Garageband and create a new project. Get rid of the piano floating in the middle of the screen and create a new track by clicking “Track > New Track…” or using the keyboard shortcut ⌥⌘N. Choose “real instrument” and “vocals > no effects”; this gives us a clean palette to work from.

Make sure you click the “Details” drop-down arrow and you can see several options for changing all sorts of technical things. Drag the sliders to approximate the screenshot below and “Save instrument.” I called mine “podcastvoice.”

Now it’s time to record something. Have a listen and play around with these settings until you have something you’re happy with. You can edit and save your new “instrument” at any time by double clicking the head-shaped icon.

Still got hiss? As far as this software goes the only thing you can do is nudge the “gate” higher and higher: beware of raising it too high and cutting out your voice!

Audacity provides an effective method for tackling intensive hiss which is well covered by Deepak Morris.

I’ve used both of the above methods to minimise hiss over the last year, but the best way to deal with hiss is in the “studio” itself, even if it is a hostel laundry at three in the morning. A room that sounds deathly quiet to us has background noise and (obviously) inbuilt microphones will pick up the sound and vibrations from a recorder.

Sound deadening must be done with some kind of sound insulation foam, but I’ve also used a couple of books to good effect in creating a “cave” for my microphone. Your mileage may vary.

Popping

Another shock in early recordings are the pops and splutters that appear in the recording. These are caused by “plosives” — sounds made by certain letters such as P and T.

In order to avoid plosive pops, professional broadcasters use a mesh-like filter between their lips and the microphone. I can’t imagine any traveller wanting to carry that!

Experiments with a t-shirt have proven unsuccessful so far. Moving the microphone a little further from your mouth, however, can produce the desired effect without you resorting to talking to your clothing. It certainly doesn’t hurt to practise saying the target sounds without that sharp breath which comes with them.

After recording

Now that the recording is done I have two more tricks to polish your recording to perfection. Export your sound file from the programme you’re working with as a .wav or a .aiff (.aiff and .aif are the same). Now drag and drop that file into the Levelator.

This baby can work magic on an audio file, especially where there are different people speaking. It attempts to make the entire audio file the same level and is remarkably successful.

After the programme’s finished you’ll have two files: podcast.aiff and podcast.aiff.output – listen to them both and choose your favourite, for me it’s normally the Levelated output file.

Mp3 is the industry standard, so convert your .wav or .aiff using iTunes> or lame. Now it’s time to adjust the volume of your track. I prefer to use mp3Gain to do this (windows, mac).

The programme allows me to set a standard volume for all of my audio files ensuring I don’t blow people’s ears out or people’s speakers up (sorry Chris!). The settings I use are shown in the following screenshot.

ID3 tags

Now your voice is ready to be broadcast around the world, but before we go there, let’s tidy up the packaging.

I hate downloading audio files, chucking them into iTunes and losing them. To make sure your listeners don’t have the same problem it’s important to set the correct ID3 tag for each one. This can be done easily in iTunes, but other software options include Multi ID3 Tag Editor (Windows) and ID3 Editor (Mac).

To change ID3 information in iTunes, locate the file and open the information panel by clicking File > Get Info or ⌘I. Click on the “Info” tab and enter as much information as is helpful. Work your way through the different tabs: many podcasters add show notes into the “Lyrics” field.

It’s increasingly important to include an image as this is what shows when using iTunes’s Coverflow or list view, as well as on iPods and other mp3 players.

This is part two of a three part series in travel podcasting. Part one talks about recording software and hardware options, whilst part three will cover content hints and tips plus a style guide for Matador podcasts.

To hear some of Matador’s Podcasting talent, check out the Traveler’s Notebook podcast archive. Got something to add? Check out the submission guidelines, then get in touch.

Feature photo by desiitaly. Photo above by striatic

Podcasting is a quickly emerging medium. With the increasing bandwidth now widely available, people are spending more and more time online and demanding more multimedia content. This series is specifically aimed at travellers and field recorders (rather than home-studio podcasters) and will serve you well in submitting material to the Matador network or for starting your own production.

Hardware sounds simple: a microphone and a recording device are the basic ingredients. The key however, as you’ll hear below, is in the quality.

Microphones and computers

Most laptops have built-in microphones, but few are high quality. However with a little creative sound engineering, your built-in microphone can produce good enough quality sound.

The difficulty is that the computer makes all sorts of noise which is very close to the microphone: it’s impossible to eliminate this although it can be mitigated in post-production. Here’s an example using Apple’s 12″ G4 Powerbook:

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex1.mp3]

Getting your microphone some way from the laptop is a good idea: perhaps a USB headset like you would use for gaming or Skype calls would do the trick. This is what a Logitech USB mic sounds like:

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex2.mp3]

You can immediately hear the difference in background noise although there are a few pops caused by the microphone being too close to the speaker’s mouth.

Portable recorders

If you would like to get away from the laptop for more freedom and portability, then a “cheap” portable recorder might be what you’re after: unfortunately “cheap” starts at US$150.

Photo by aloshbennett

Three popular field recorders for podcasters are the M-Audio Microtrack II, Marantz PMD-620 and the Zoom h2 Handy Recorder.

After extensive research — focusing on these three choices — I bought a Zoom H2 last month and can definitely recommend it as a great microphone for travel podcasters.

It’s light, runs on ubiquitous AA batteries, records to SD and can simulate surround sound thanks to the four microphones within its head.

Here’s an example of how it sounds:

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex3.mp3]

Current matador podcaster Ryan Libre has been using a sony ICD-SX68DR9 Digital Voice Recorder with an external mic.

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex4.mp3]

Drew Leifeit, of Budacast fame, uses a Sony Hi MD Recorder (MZ-M10) for use in the field. In the ’studio’ he uses a Audiotechnica AT835A shotgun mic, and in the field a generic stereo mic which came with the recorder. You can immediately hear the difference — as well as appreciate his great use of music.

Drew’s “shotgun” mic

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex5.mp3]

Drew’s stereo mic

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex6.mp3]

Matador writer and podcaster Julie Schwietert recommends using an Olympus digital recorder for making audio notes. In a pinch it can scrape by as a podcast-quality recorder.

[audio:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/wp-content/podcasts/TTN%20-%20Howto%20ex7.mp3]

Audio Editing Software

Photo by H.E.D.I.

There are a growing number of good applications for podcasting on both the Windows and Mac platforms.

In the Apple world Garageband is undoubtably the easiest way to get started: it’s already installed on your computer, it’s user-friendly and it’s the only recording software which also allows you to create iTunes-enhanced podcasts.

Audacity is a free and open source cross-platform editor which is growing in stability and features. In the mid-price range, Adobe’s Soundbooth provides near professional-level control. This is probably overkill for beginner podcasters but could be an upgrade if you’d like to take things futher.

Skype

Skype is a very popular computer-to-computer and computer-to-telephone telephony system. Using it, one can cheaply record interviews with fellow travellers who are miles away. You can also use it to call your mum, but I don’t think you should put that on air.

Photo by timwilson

1. Install and set up Skype

Skype is able to be installed on Windows, Mac, Linux and many portable platforms.

To download and install it, visit the site and follow the instructions there.

But you probably want to know how to record the conversations. Read on.

2. Skype recorders for Mac

There are several workarounds to record Skype calls on a Mac, but by far the easiest tool is Audio Hijack Pro from Rogue Amoeba. With one click this programme will “hijack” the audio and with one more click it will start recording.

The programme is currently priced at US$32, but there is a free trial version which allows 10 minutes of recording at a time. Budget-conscious podcasters can keep hitting start/stop to create several audio files.

3. Skype recorders for Windows

Once again there are a plentitude of options for recording Skype calls on Windows. The most popular seems to be Pamela, which also offers many more features. The free version gives 15 minutes of recording time.

Now you have some hardware and software choices to make. Come back next week for part two in this series on how to start travel podcasting, and learn how to use it.

Audio clips in this article have been supplied by Budacast, the Indie Travel Podcast and, of course, The Traveler’s Notebook. To hear some of Matador’s Podcasting talent, check out the Traveler’s Notebook podcast archive. Got something to add? Check out the submission guidelines, then get in touch.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela has been a popular pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. During the last 20 years it has experienced a huge re-awakening with tens of thousands travelling it each year. In this podcast Craig Martin offers a brief, practical guide to the Camino, covering route choice, guidebooks, packing tips, credencials, accommodation and some extra suggestions for the end of your pilgrimage. As you listen, check out the fantastic photos of the Camino by Irene Schmidt. For more background and an audio tour of the trail, listen to the author’s companion podcast, An Audio Tour of the Camino de Santiago. We’d also recommend reading up on the various Camino organisation websites: the Confraternity of St James, American Pilgrims on the Camino, and the Canadian Company of Pilgrims. While you’re visiting the Confraternity site, you should pick up a copy of their guidebook, published each January with updates on the site. Check out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela has been a popular pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. During the last 20 years it has experienced a huge re-awakening with tens of thousands travelling it each year.

Click the play button below:

For more historical background plus tips on walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela check out the Check out Adrea Kirkby’s Walking the Camino de Santiago, and Laurie Pickard’s 4 Lessons Learned from the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage.

Stay tuned for Craig’s follow-up podcast: A Practical Guide to Walking the Camino de Santiago, coming soon.

Check out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

Arrive in Turkey by island-hopping through Greece or into Istanbul by train or flight. No visas are required for New Zealand citizens and are available, at varying rates, on the border for most other countres.

If you are interested in attending Gallipoli services, I would highly recommend booking a tour — at least for the 24th and 25th of April. The infrastructure surrounding ANZAC cove is limited: hostels and hotels are packed and public transport does not run in the service areas. Furthermore the security services only allow registered vehicles into the zone, leaving the few taxi-takers with a long, late-night walk.

While in the area you may wish to visit the ruins of Troy or catch an overnight bus to Selcuk to explore Ephesus or the coast.

Cover image by Janomie Leah.

Make sure you hit the comments and tell us some of your best wine stories.

Check out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

Feature photo by Alessandro Vannucci
Photo above by Six in the World

Wanting to secure a job that allows nearly unlimited travel options? Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) can afford you the financial freedom to stay on the move. In this podcast episode, Craig Martin briefs you on the qualifications needed for and job opportunities available in the ESOL world.

Craig has been funding travel through teaching English as a Second Language since 2003 and has been using it to fund a two-years-and-counting world trip. It is a viable way of staying solvent whilst seeing all the places you’ve ever dreamed of.

Some companies will give you in-house training when you get a position, others will expect a University degree along with a highly recognised qualification. The two most sought-after by ESOL schools are the Trinity TESOL and the CELTA certificates. Are you just looking for work? Check out the job listings onTefl.com and at Dave’s ESL cafe. We regularly receive hundreds of volunteer and paid job opportunities a week through their RSS feeds.

Check out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

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.

Photo by Judy Baxter

There are a confusing amount of options for the novice, but in this step-by-step guide the author’s choice of best services are showcased along with their strengths. If you can use email and a word processor, you know more than enough about computers to blog. In fact, you only really need step two…

1. Email

The first thing you’ll need is a way to keep in touch with friends and family while you’re on the road. If your current email provider isn’t going to be good to you while you’re away, I’d recommend switching to Google’s gmail because of its fast searching, large amounts of space and reliability of access. Promote your new email address early, but you can still check your old accounts in gmail! You don’t have to visit several sites to read your mail. Either set up forwarding to your new address in your old email client or use Gmail’s tools for collecting them.

Once you are set up with an account you can have an infinite number of email address by adding “+”. For example, if my email address is “spam@gmail.com” I can also have “spam+blog@gmail.com” without changing any settings. This can help you quickly identify where an email is coming from. You can also set up filters to keep your blog email separate from your primary email address.

Advanced tip: When visiting the site use https://gmail.com or https://mail.google.com. This will encrypt your login details as well as the content of your emails.

2. Blog platform

Now we need somewhere to write. WordPress.com is a free blogging platform that’s easy to use and has a very good set of features. If you ever want to move to another blogging platform it’s easy to export all your posts and comments.

Go to WordPress.com and click “sign up”. Add a username, password and your email address. Choose name of blog, confirm the URL and language ,then decide whether to allow search engines to find and index your blog. You want the URL to be memorable and easy to write down. Keep it simple!

Now, you’re in! The dashboard in front of you has everything you need to start writing. There are three pre-set examples that you’ll want to change: a post, a comment and a page. These examples allow you to see what’s what in your new blog world. You can edit or delete these then start making your own stuff – just click “write”. Easy.

3. Photos

If you have a digital camera you’ll want a place to showcase your photos. There’s none better than flickr.com . Flickr has a great community feel and lots of ways to share your photos. On the technical side, there’s lots of magic which makes it easy to distribute your photos to your blog and other websites.

Flickr is owned by Yahoo, so if you have a Yahoo address you can sign up with that, otherwise click “sign up” and go for it. Assuming you don’t have a laptop with you, you’ll be plugging your digital camera into a PC at an internet cafe. Do that, and then in Flickr, click “upload”. You’ll be able to browse to your camera, select the photos you want to upload, then name them and add other information if you wish.

You can choose to make your photos public or private, with different settings for friends and family. Use the “private” setting for uploading photos of receipts and serial numbers in case they’re needed for insurance claims.

Flickr is free for up to three albums and 100mb of uploaded images a month. Have a play with the free version first — shrink your photos before uploading — then consider whether US$25 a year is a worthwhile investment for a virtually unlimited amount of space.

Tip: If you’re taking a laptop with you, download one of the uploading tools. It’ll make your life a lot easier.

4. Making WordPress and Flickr play together

Now that you have a WordPress and a Flickr account we get to make them play together. If you want to use a photo in your blog post then start with Flickr. Choose a picture, click “download” and choose a size then select the code at the bottom of the page. Copy and paste into your WordPress.com writing panel and you’re away.

You can also show all your photos automatically. Take note of your Flickr RSS feed (in the browser’s address bar or near the bottom of your profile page) then head back to your WordPress.com administration panels. Click “presentation > widgets” then find the box named “Flickr” at the bottom of the page and drag it into the light-blue rectangular box. Click the icon to the right and follow the instructions there.

5. Styling sidebars

Since we’ve started with sidebar widgets let’s press on. Widgets allow you to quickly and easily change the look of your sidebar without using any code at all. Just to make sure we’re all in the same place, open your WordPress.com administration panels and click “presentation > widgets”. See something you like at the bottom of the page? A “search” bar perhaps? Just grab it with the mouse and drag it into the horizontal box. Now, believe me, there’s a search box in your sidebar. Play around with different looks and different tools until you’re happy with it. You can edit a widget’s text by clicking the page icon to the right of the widget’s name. Make sure you hit “save changes” before leaving the administration panel.

6. Styling the page

You have to admit that it’s important to get the look right. In WordPress the look of the site is known as the “theme”, so let’s go choose one. Also under “presentation” you’ll find the “themes” page. You can browse through the dozens of available themes, simply clicking them to completely change the look of your blog! The “edit CSS” tab will allow you to further customise things, but you’d be wise to save a copy of the orginal before making any changes. You might be happy with words and pictures, but if you want to go a step or so further, the next two sections look at how to add video and audio to your new blog.

7. Adding video

Editing video takes a heap of time. Time that, perhaps, could be better spent actually travelling! But when you take the time to do it, you want to share it with everyone. The most popular video sharing site is undoubtably youtube.com but if you don’t want to create yet another username and password you can also use google video to similar effect.

Having got an account with either service, click “upload” and browse to your video. Most video types are acceptable, so you can upload straight off your camera if you like. (Both services use background encoding to change the type of file it stores so, unlike Flickr, you can’t use these services to backup your videos.)

To add a video to your WordPress blog you have to take some code from the video site and put it in your “write” panel. The “embed” option is the one you want. Simply copy and paste the code you’re given. Of course, you can do this for other people’s videos too.

8. Adding audio

Audio, in WordPress.com’s free service at least, is not quite as easy as video. However, there are two very respectable options:

Option one. If you have access to upload mp3 files anywhere — maybe another family member’s site — you can add a player on your page using the following tag: [audio http://www.example.com/filename]

Option two. If you want to keep everything inside WordPress, then upgrade to one of their “pay” options. This will allow you to upload mp3 files within the system itself.

9. Pushing it Further

RSS is an important emerging medium for distributing your posts. Have a look at your “Options > Reading” panel in WordPress and make sure it looks good to you. I’d recommend “full” feeds with at least 10 posts visible. Although this makes it easier for copyright thieves to take your posts, it means travelers who read posts offline can actually see your post. If most of your readers have constant internet access or copyright theft is a big concern, then shorter feeds are your cup of tea. A useful sevice is feedburner.com which allows you to modify your RSS feed and add all sorts of services — like an automatic email containing each new post. Even if your family don’t understand RSS readers, they probably understand email.

10. Keeping passwords safe

With all these accounts there are heaps of passwords to remember. You did use a different password for each service, right? If not you definitely should go back and change them. All computers are liable to security issues, but internet cafes in some places are especially likely to have nasties on them. A common attack is called “key-logging” which records every button you press on the keyboard. Writing in your password on an infected system is like giving away the keys to your house. And if you have just one key to everything you own…

There are ways to securely store and use different passwords. This is a boon since, in reality, who can remember them all?! Keepass (and KeepassX for Macintosh) is a reliable tool which can also be run from a USB stick. Keepass’s copy and paste eliminates keylogging and deletes the copied item from the computer after a user-set time (set it up for 10 or 15 seconds). Not foolproof, but a step in the right direction.

I told you you only needed step two, but ten steps later and you’re ready to rock and roll in style. Now I guess it’s time to get out of the internet cafe and actually do something worth recording.

This article was updated on 22 January 2008.

The country above Auckland is a place that isn’t highlighted by most guidebooks: Northland. This area is replete with beaches and forests as well as historic towns and modern resorts. In this podcast episode, buy a campervan or a car in Auckland then head north and get happily lost with Craig Martin. The fishing, kayaking, surfing and hiking and — being New Zealand — natural splendour will blow you away.

If you’re looking at buying a car try trade me for e-bay style auctions, the (reputable) Auckland Car Fair or the (irreputable) backpacker’s car fair (no website). The Backpacker Board has plenty of links for hiring vehicles, even spaceships! along with lots of great advice for independent travel in New Zealand.

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.

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.

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.

Photo by Jon Hadley

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.

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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 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.

Paceville, Malta. Photo by Heini Samuelsen

Visit the oldest buildings in the world, eat and drink in Transylvanian towns or hike through Latvia’s national parks. Not your thing?

Then party in Paceville or Riga before chilling out on a Bohemian river bank with hot mead. No? Then get lost in Europe’s strangest city after passing by a Frank Zappa statue. You can’t tell me that doesn’t appeal!

But does it all sound too expensive, especially with the way the US dollar is going? Fear not, Malta, Romania, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Latvia will still treat you right. Listen to this podcast and we’ll prove it to you.

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Exchange Rates:

Malta
1 US$ = 29 cents. Switch to euro 2008, 1US$ = 68 cents

Czech Republic
I US$ = about 18 koruny (crowns)

Lithuania
1 US$ = 2.35 litas

Latvia
1 US$ = 0.48 lats

Romania
1 US$ = 2.37 RON (Romanian new lei)