Transportation in Berlin 101: How to Get Around in Germany’s Capital

I’ve been living on and off in Berlin for about five years now. Let’s call it a total of two and a half. One thing I’ve become a master at in this time is navigating around this monstrous city efficiently. Out of all the forms of transportation a city could possibly have, Berlin has all… Continue reading Transportation in Berlin 101: How to Get Around in Germany’s Capital

Don’t Buy Absinthe in Prague without Reading this First

Czech absinthe is terrible. There, I said it. Despite Prague being one of the most popular places in the world to buy and drink absinthe, it’s one of the worst places to do it. Most bars and restaurants around here have absinthe on the menu, but for god’s sake, don’t get it. Most likely it’ll… Continue reading Don’t Buy Absinthe in Prague without Reading this First

Steampunk on a Budget

Also: “The Cogless Steampunk” Last weekend, after an amazing all-nighter rave called Rumpus, I heard about another all-nighter called Imaginarium – a sci-fi/fetish themed event. This one, unlike most of the others, required some sort of effort be put into your costume. At previous events, considering I’m living out of a backpack, I hadn’t bothered… Continue reading Steampunk on a Budget

Need to Get Something Notarized? DO NOT Go to the Embassy

According to Wikipedia, there are about 4.5 million notary publics in the States vs. approx. 740 in England and Wales and 1,250 in Australia and New Zealand. In the US, you can find a notary on every corner, and at least in NC, it costs about 5 bucks for a stamp. I was recently sent… Continue reading Need to Get Something Notarized? DO NOT Go to the Embassy

The Definitive Guide to Not Going Broke in London

photo credit: ~lauren

This city is disastrously expensive, and doesn’t help that the exchange rate is awful. As a point of reference, a regular pint of lager (something like Kronenberg or Amstel, nothing fancy) from a tap at a typical (non-touristy) bar is about £4 – that’s around $6.50. Expect closer to £5 for anything special. A small… Continue reading The Definitive Guide to Not Going Broke in London

HostelWorld vs. HostelBookers

For a while there, HostelWorld.com had a real monopoly on the hostel booking business. After all, they hold the license to the BackpackOnline booking software used by nearly all of the hostels I’ve been to, not to mention their customer interface (the HostelWorld.com website) is friendly, attractive, and easy to use. But one main competitor… Continue reading HostelWorld vs. HostelBookers