Worldly Chatter

Oh Gods have mercy upon me! I work four days this week before we go to NY, still managing 32 ½ hours, if I don’t stay later again! My key goes to my fellow American friend who works at Subway too. Of course I get it back when I return in two weeks. The Boss likes how he works and feels he could fill my shoes while I am gone. I almost don’t want to leave work, almost. I am going to miss so much in those two weeks. Really, I didn’t work this weekend and when I came in this morning the upstairs was completely different and the basement was a mess! But like I said, almost.

We are going to NY in four days! I only work until three on Thursday and our flight takes off Friday at 9 in the morning! If you have traveled before then you know all that goes into this even before you arrive at the airport!

Tickets, passport, license, and any hotel or car rental paperwork you might have; is it in your carry on or purse? Might not be going anywhere without that!
Cannot forget to take care of the packing! Clothes and toiletries; accessories are a must! Yet you also have to keep in mind the weight limit the airport might have on suitcases. You go over you will be sure to pay a fee.
Take care of the trash and any foods that might go bad while you are gone. I would hate walking in the door to that!
Never forget to turn off anything that needs to be shut off or locked.
Take care of all pets and what might go on with them. (Simple for me, I don’t have any at the moment!) Some have people house sit, babysit or put them in a kennel for the duration of their leave. If you like bringing them with make sure you have that squared away.
Where is the car going? Is it in the drive or at the airport? Ours is staying at the airport. Sweet deal and its safe.
Are you on medication? Do you have enough for your stay? If you do, will you have a day or two supply until you can get more?
I plan on doing laundry Wednesday night after work so that on Thursday when I pack, I have every possible article of clothing I could possibly want. Kind of goes with packing but you would be surprised how many people don’t do laundry before they go and then sit there with an empty suitcase complaining they don’t have anything to wear.

Just a small list but it’s enough to get you going for an afternoon or entire day! It all depends on how efficient and organized you are. Since we recently got married we have on our list wedding photos for the family, our little trouwboekje and we also have little gifts for some people. We cannot forget the requests we have had for little trinkets and foods we can bring over!

Well, this little list is definitely keeping me and Dutchie busy on top of our work hours! Happy travels and good luck packing!

traveling, New York, Travel Check list, Vacation check list, Worldly Chatter

An interesting news piece for those traveling to the US: According to the associated press, Congress plans to create a non-profit organization to help promote travel to the US. This organization would not only promote travel to the US but also clear up any misperceptions about US travel policies. It would work with other agencies on fixing visa policies and entry processes that discourage visits. Since 9/11 tourism has dropped, as was expected, however, it hasn’t stopped going down.

JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer “The global pie of international travel is steadily increasing, while the U.S. share has been slowly decreasing,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association.
Visits from the six countries that provide the most tourists — Britain, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea and Australia — have dropped 15 percent since 2000 while travel from those six to other countries was up a robust 39 percent.

Interesting isn’t it that these countries will go elsewhere rather than go to America. I am going to fill you in on something. There isn’t much in way of misperceptions when it comes to entering America. All the scary stuff people hear really does happen.
Take for example two people who want to enter the country for a vacation, they fill out the proper forms and hand them in to customs. They are average people with no record of any kind but banned from entering the country. How can that be? Well, when families enter the country they fill out visa wavers and other forms stating they are traveling together and they are in fact a family. Yet these two people were two men who happened to be gay and married according to their country’s laws. The US does NOT acknowledge gay marriage therefore the form they filled out was wrong, they are not a family, and they are not married and therefore cannot enter.

Your landing at JFK all stoked to be on solid ground and ready to conquer it all! It is vacation time! You have been to America before so nothing is new to you. You hand in your paperwork and hand over your passport but there is a problem. The last time you entered the country you forgot to hand in your visa waiver! According to the system, you have been in America for four years now! However, how can that be since the ONLY way to get to the booth you are currently standing in front of is from the landing area where your plane is still sitting on! There is NO way to enter the area from the rest of the airport unless you are personnel. Therefore, you stand there and explain what happened. You tell them you have just landed; you left America and went back to your country. You have an employer, friends, and family who can vouch for your existence there. Ye gods, why would you want to stay; you are beginning to think to yourself! Meanwhile, though all the explanation and proof of you leaving the man behind the overly tall booth belittles you, harasses you and treats you like a common criminal! Right next to you is a man who is in shackles because he did not have the right work visa therefore being deported. The fact that your English sounds like that of a native is another thing crawling under his skin so he nags at you about that. ‘Sounds like you have been here a nice while’, never mind the fact that other nations speak English and rather well, he pushes the issue and wants to know how you learned to speak English so well if it isn’t your mother tongue. ‘Do you want to end up like that guy? You better start cooperating. If you aren’t careful you will end up like that.’ While he points to the deportee in shackles. ‘Are you married?’ Yes. ‘Where is your husband then?’ Back at home. ‘Why are you traveling alone then?’ The drama goes on for some time, nagging, harassing, belittling and staring you down until you feel like you should be on the floor! Proof of your ability to take care of yourself financially is necessary. Prove you were in your place of birth! Drivers license, passport, bankcards from homeland all done within a year are not good enough proof. Where are your receipts! No, you don’t empty your wallet before vacation! No receipts, incites more aggravation and belittling from the man in the tall booth. Finally after a good hour or so with the man behind his booth, staring you down and showing he is boss, lets you through. Only because a nice man who was also on your flight (most likely a sky marshall) came to your aide and told the official that you were actually on the flight that just landed in New York. What a way to start your stay in American huh?

Well, the first story is factual. It actually made news it was that dramatic of an affair. The second story that is actually Dutchies second time into America. Her third trip was a doozy too because even though her name was cleared they still felt it necessary to bust her balls a bit more.

I tell you this because our government feels the drop in tourism. It is slipping more and more and these stories are just some of the reasons why. Rules change, some countries need visas to enter while others don’t. They interrogate you if you don’t breathe right. It is a mess. The last time Dutchie and I entered America went all right but it wasn’t a ‘welcome to America and enjoy your stay’ atmosphere. You feel like you are guilty of something when you land. How is that going to bring people wanting more? Those misperceptions they want to clear up, they might want to realize that they are facts, not misperceptions and do something about it so people will WANT to come to America and bring their money.

worldly chatter, tourism in the US, travel to the US, visa waivers, getting into America

Absolute madness! That is what I have to say about my morning in Amsterdam. I had to go to the consulate to an affidavit of my single status in America. I need this so I can marry Dutchie, as you know. So, I take the 8:22 train this morning from Hilversum to Amsterdam Central and get there around 9:00. According to the site, I can take the 2, 5, 16 or 24 tram to get there. After going to two different money exchange places and an ATM on Damrak I saw the number 2 come in so I took that. I wanted to be there around 9:30 – 9:45 so I can actually get this done because the hours to do anything are from 8:30-11:30am.
I hop on, stamp my strippenkaart and take a seat. I go ALL the way to the end of the line! There wasn’t one stop for Museumplein throughout the whole ride! I get on the tram heading back and get off at Leidseplein knowing that Museumplein is nearby. This on its own has killed nearly 35 minutes of my morning mind you and I still had to head in the general direction of the consulate. I go that way and find myself at a money exchange place. I ask where to go and he tells me I have to continue to go straight and head towards the Museums but it would be easier if I waited for the 5 tram, it will stop right in front. I head towards the tram stop but see that only the 7 and 10 tram are coming this direction, it is now 10:30. I know I have an hour to figure this out so I have a smoke and wait, and wait and wait. Only the 7 and 10 trams have stopped here. Therefore, I head up again; following the kind mans directions and find myself between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Now, I know what you are thinking, this means I am close right! Museums mean Museumplein, your finding it girl!

That’s what you think!

I stop at one of those little souvenir stands that sells Van Gogh t-shirts and other such stuff and ask the woman tending it as to where I am to go, I know I have to be close after all. She states to go right and past the field, the Museum Park, and then right diagonally. All right, let’s do this! I go, looking for the consulate, I walk past the field and head right after that. I am starting to freak out here. I am not seeing it. I have now circled Van Gogh 3 times! I bump into some men who are cleaning and working in the park. They ask me what is wrong so I tell them I am lost; I need to get to the consulate. He tells me I am headed in the right direction, just keep taking this road all the way down and on the left will be the consulate. This calms me some. Only some mind you. It is pouring buckets here and I didn’t bring the umbrella. I go and do this where I end up on a street I have never seen before and further freak. I am actually now crying I am freaking so bad! Not only have I circled Van Gogh 3 times but I have also ended up on Leidseplein 4 times and have circled the entire length of the Rijksmuseum twice, circled the park 3 times I believe and have now found myself on a street I don’t know where is and still have not found the consulate! I walk up the street the kind workers said I was supposed to be on and look up and down for the consulate. No, nothing, nada, NIKS!

I walk back down the road and head back to the road I don’t know, there is a payphone there and a tram stop. Now, do you remember the cell phone I bought the other day? I bought twenty-euro worth of minutes with it; I just forgot to add it! So I have no minutes on my phone while I am lost, crying and freaking! I call Dutchie and she informs me there is no point in looking further, its 11:15. Bugger off! I took off work to do this and got nothing done!

I get on the tram and headed back to the station. I grab a sandwich and cappuccino before catching the train back to Hilversum.

You see, dear readers, I have the directional skills of a lamppost! I panic when I am lost despite my best efforts not to. I was supposed to have this done today and now have to go back next week. Dutchie has offered to go with and I feel bad because of it. I should be able to do this darn it all. Take the 2, 5, 16, 24 tram and get on Museumplein where the consulate will be.
American Citizen Services
U.S. Consulate General
Museumplein 19
1071 DJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Simple right? Uh huh, right…

American Consulate, Museumplein, Wordly Chatter, Directions, Amsterdam

Two months will be here sooner than I think and there is so much to do! I spoke with my father and emailed my brother. They both are wondering about lodging; where would be the best place to stay? We live in Hilversum and that’s about a half hour from Amsterdam. Should they stay where we are or should they stay there in Amsterdam? One thing that has come up in conversation is driving or train. I am a fan of the train; I have to hop on one tomorrow to get to the consulate in Amsterdam. Yet if I and Dutchie have to either meet up there or have them meet back here it is going to get mighty expensive on both our parts and we are not the richest in Hilversum! Brother is trying to figure out where to stay so he can book his flight, there are many deals with hotel and flight combos but one has to know where to stay so they can book right? I have to call him again as well as other family members so we can figure this out. Brother really wants to book now, its usually cheaper than waiting to the last minute.

On Wednesday we have a photographer coming to our home after work to look at his work and talk about our wedding. Saturday is the day we drive to Eindhoven to look at wedding dresses and we need to go from their figure out what Dutchie will be wearing. Flowers also have to be taken care of and since we want them to match what we are wearing that is also waiting until after we get back from Eindhoven. We still need to plan a day to Den Haag and we are waiting to hear back about two places we were interested when it came to transportation on our big day.

I have to remember to talk to the Mrs. of the house over at my father’s home as well as my brother and see if I can get a hold of my sister. I need to talk to my father again so we can finally get something going. I fear these two months will fly by and I will be standing there a week before the wedding going ‘did we get everything done? Is everything taken care of? What about this!?” I fear I may freak when that last week comes. I do not want to but I am sure that a good old fashion freak fest will happen and Dutchie will be standing there trying desperately to calm me down. We have four people from my family coming and it all has to go smoothly. Arg, the freaking is already starting!

worldly chatter, wedding plans, flights and hotels

Oh wow, today was my first pay day after starting last Monday and with it I was able to pay off two bills! It feels so good to be working again! I got home from work this afternoon and went straight to the computer to check the account. There it was, Olympia had paid me at noon today! Now I should see a pay slip at some point this week for it, probably Friday I am guessing. It feels wonderful to be useful, productive and actually contribute to the household again! I know that the government forced me to wait while they processed me but it didn’t make me feel any better. I work, I enjoy bringing in money and having a full and productive day. Maybe I am crazy but either way I am a happy camper!

And since we are on the subject of money there are a few things I should tell you my fellow American readers. If you ever plan to make a trip or permanent stay here in Holland or anywhere else in Europe there are a few things you need to know. I have to have a chat with my father next week on this very thing so when he comes he is prepared. First off, I did not see a pay check, Holland does not deal with checks anymore. Dutchie has been working for a little under 18 years now and she has never seen a pay check, it automatically goes into her account. She can also recall her father working and getting the money directly deposited in the account, no check seen in the house. Everything is done electronically here so you cannot come and expect to pay with a check; most wouldn’t have ever seen one to know what to do with it!

When it comes to shopping in Holland there are two things one must remember; one, there is a cash machine nearly everywhere you go and you can find them attached to walls, geldautomat. The other is this, not everywhere accepts credit cards! Pin cards, or bankcards, are used at grocery stores and a good chunk of regular stores, no credit cards allowed. There will be a sign in the window as to which credit card is accepted. Mostly your major department stores, restaurants, though not all, that sort of thing. Dutchie and I either pin or pull money for our grocery shopping. We bought my bike with a credit card; see where I am going with this?

When Dutchie went to America she thought she would be able to pin everywhere she went, just like here but as you know, not all places allow you to pin! There is definitely a difference in not only currency but also how money is used and handled between the two continents. Master Card and Visa are the most popular here in Holland, American Express and Discover I rarely see. You can of course bring travelers checks with you; Amsterdam has close to ten cash exchange places on the Damrak, right before the Dam square and that is just one street!

My point in all this is simple. If you travel, talk to people or research the country and how it shops. Find out if you use bank, cash or credit when shopping and where. Find out what credit card are popular and how easy is it to cash a travelers check. My advice is do this in advance to get all your finances in order before you leave. I have to have this conversation with my father and step mother so when they come they are prepared. I know my father likes his credit cards but I fear the ones he is comfortable with, we don’t use here, or at least frequently enough to see it around town.

Happy travels and happy spending!

travel, money, payday, travelers checks, credit cards, worldly chatter, euro, dollar

Camping, I’ve done it on several occasions in my life. I have slept in a tent, having it flooded while I slept, and I have slept soundly and dry in a caravan. The Dutch are big on their camping. People love to go out camping for a week or six weeks. There are those die hard campers who have grounds that they call their summer home year after year. Yet for the Dutch, it isn’t with a tent. Let me introduce you to the world of Dutch caravans!
Camping Jachthaven Uitdam is fifteen kilometers outside Amsterdam and has tons to offer. Walking, cycling or boating and the grounds come fully equipped for your caravan, grocery store and a place for the kiddies to go! Now, the caravan is particularly important to the camping life here in the Netherlands. Each park that has a lot for your caravan, big or fold-up, and a means for you to power it up and have gas and plumbing is a winner to the Dutch, they aren’t big on tents you see. Another park is Gaasperpark on the Gaasperplas (Gaasper Lake). Twenty minutes from Amsterdam it has similar features to the other park but with one rule to go by. No powerboats or motorbikes. This is strictly for cycling, rowing, sailing and anything that doesn’t require an engine on the trails and waters. My point, the outdoors is a great way to spend your time in Holland! But before you start clicking on links and planning let me teach you about the caravans you could rent, or buy if you live here.
Vouwcaravan; they are very popular for the light traveler or the person with not a lot of space. It literally means folding caravan. First time I saw it I was a tad puzzled, what was this box I thought! Then I remembered the vouwfiets, folding bikes, and laughed a little; with a country so densely populated that so small they find a way to fold just about anything! It has enough space for a small family and when you’re done fold it back up and hitch it to the back of your car and go.
You also have the tourcaravan and stacaravan! Stacaravan is literally stay caravan. Dutchies, who are big on camping yearly will by a massive stacaravan, rent or buy land on camp grounds here in Holland and make that their home away from home! Dutchie told me of a family member of hers who did this. They went up in size until they ended up with a massive stacaravan and now is fully furnished for their get-a-ways! Grounds to put your put your home away from home can be found all over Holland! You can also find a stacaravan on campgrounds that have them permanently on site for those who don’t own or rent but just want a place to vacation. I wouldn’t argue doing this!
Then you have the tourcaravan. Tour caravans, travel caravan, either translation with do just fine. You guessed it; these caravans go where you go! These are particularly popular to rent or buy for the Dutchie, tourists who love to travel Europe! Dutchies love these to go to Austria, Germany and elsewhere in Europe. You can easily search on the web to rent one and get great package deals. Skiing packages, mountain climbing packages and more! But you cannot forget to pack!
The Dutch rarely go anywhere without a caravan full of Dutch goodies. Hagelslag (sandwich sprinkles), pindakaas (Dutch peanut butter) and Dutch kaas (cheese) are a must! (You can see they love their sandwich stuff!) Never forget the coffee! Just like the English have tea time, the Dutch have koffietijd (coffee time)! You can usually count on a community of campers either here in Holland or elsewhere getting together for koffietijd and a party in the evening to have some fun! So rent a tourcaravan, grab the hagelslag and koffee and travel! It’s better than sleeping in a tent that floods when the Dutch rain comes!

camping, caravans, stacaravan, vouwcarava, tourcaravan, campers, Netherlands, Europe, Holland campgrounds, Europe campgrounds, Camping Jachthaven Uitdam, Gaasperpark, Gaasperplas (Gaasper Lake), Tourist activities

In September I am getting married and some of my family will be flying here for the occasion. (Some happy dancing on my part at just the thought!) Since none of them have ever been they need a little guidance as to planning their stay and what is there in Holland. So here I am going to give as many tips and websites as I can possible give to help anyone looking to plan that perfect trip to the Netherlands.

First you need a ticket right? There are so many places to get a flight whether it is an affordable price or if money isn’t a factor. Remember my suggestions for finding the best flights for your trip? Well here is the link to refer back, just in case. Might I also suggest Travelocity as well as the suggestions I made earlier. Now that you are on the path to your flight you need a place to stay. You can book a flight with hotel stay or you can go to hotels.nl for a few more suggestions. There is a little English flag to the right so don’t panic when you see all the Dutch!

Alright, what’s next? What is there to do in the Netherlands? Well, aside from the windmills, wooden shoes and tulips that Holland is known for there is an entire history and culture to explore! Take a walk through the city; admire the views over their bridges, around their canals and parks! Museums can be found all over Holland ranging from historical information to the art work of the famous painters we all know. We have canal rides with some that last an hour and others all day. The rides that last all day are the package deals that really help you see Holland. Amsterdam for example has canal rides that take you through the history of the city with stops at the Anne Frank house and other historical places. Architectural canal rides takes you to the most beautiful places in Amsterdam from beautiful Churches that have been here for centuries to the modern office and apartment styles popping up. You can arrange trips based solely on museums as well! They have the well known home of Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum and the sex museum that’s just a five minute walk away from Central Station. They also have the not so known museums of technology, horror as well as Amsterdam’s football team Ajax and its museum and the Heineken Museum. For a better guide to their museums let me refer you to here. The Amsterdam Escape! For information on dining, night life, more hotels, and things to do let me take you to here; Amsterdam!

Now I know that there are plenty just like me who love to shop. So here I will inform you that just like you and me, the Dutch love to spend their time and money on clothes, shoes, gadgets and gizmos too! The endless shops and markets that go on there is plenty to do and spend your money on! Souvenirs, clothes and anything else you can think of can be found here! Shopping can be slightly different to the average American who is used to the stores being open until eight, nine or even ten at night. Here stores are open until five or six unless you go on a shopping night where the stores stay open later. On average stores are closed on Sunday’s unless you are in a major city such as Amsterdam. You would have to find out if the town you are visiting has shopping that Sunday as each town is different when it comes to having a shopping Sunday and when. As shopping is during the day you can hit the night life that goes on!

Now let us not forget the food! Holland loves food, both native and international. With restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and snack bars that can be found all over Holland, virtually every corner has a snack bar and every center has an endless variety to choose from! Indonesian, Greek, Turkish, American, Italian, Dutch and the list can go on!
One more thing. If you want to learn some helpful Dutch to get around here is a good site that could help you out with simple phrases. But be warned, the Dutch have a tendency to pick up your accent or the fact that you aren’t very good at it and will revert to the language you use so long as they can follow you. They learn English and most are quite proud of it and use it whenever they find someone to try it on!

Now I hope that with the information I have provided as well as the links that you will be able to plan your trip to the Netherlands in no time! Anything I miss, just and I will be happy to find out for you! Happy Travels!

http://www2.holland.com/us/

http://goeurope.about.com/cs/holland/l/bl_holland_map.htm

Netherlands, Holland, Amsterdam, Tourists info for Amsterdam, Traveling to the Netherlands

Ever have it where you wanted to plan a great vacation yet you were left with too many websites and ‘great deals’ coming into your inbox or mail box that you are left overwhelmed and lost that you want to cancel the whole thing? Ok, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic but at least there was frustration setting in on something that was supposed to be relaxing and needed? Well, whether it is overseas or the next state over there is help out there to find the best package for you, at the very least places to go to give you some guidance through that process of planning the perfect getaway.

Now I know there are people out there that money is no object on such an endeavor while there are some out there like me who want a great trip but don’t have a wallet that can constantly be left open. So I am going to tell you about a few places that can help you along the way.

• Cheaptickets.com is a website for both domestic and international flights. You can get package deals on tickets, car rentals and hotels. Mix and match if you’d like. There are also options for cruises and activities to the location you are looking for. For those who regularly travel you can register with them and get extra deals and are able to save your itinerary on the site itself.
• Expedia.com
  Also Domestic and International but this is a bit more promising for those who are looking for a more detailed vacation. As with Cheaptickets.com you can do activities, cruises, package deals but unlike Cheaptickets.com you can plan a trip bases solely on a particular purpose. Take skiing for example: expedia.com can search for great skiing destinations as well as the best price for your budget. They can help with lodging and even tell you places in that area for ski rentals. Another thing that I have observed in my hunt for great prices on tickets is that expedia.com on average has lower airfare and less transfers. It can also be viewed in other languages outside of English.
• Travel.yahoo.com I have used yahoo for tickets internationally and they also do domestic. Yahoo is very thorough in planning a trip. You will find activities, cruises, hotels and car rentals. Great package deals and you can plan a trip entirely on an activity such as mountain climbing, skiing and whatever else suits your fancy. Their prices vary but I have gotten great prices using yahoo. The only issue I had with using yahoo travel was its primary clients are Americans. I say that because I was unable to use a bank card from Europe to pay for the tickets. I had to use a card issued from America. It can be a large inconvenience when you’re starting point is outside the US.
• Priceline.com In searching through their site I have observed that this site would better suit the US more than outside travelers. Your departure has to come from inside the US but it does fly international. Again there are package deals on hotels, car rentals and tickets. The site is simple to use and prices are great. While it goes outside the US its better deals can be found in domestic flights.

These are the most popular places to plan a vacation on the web yet there are so much more out there. My departure is from the Netherlands and because of that I can find great deals with local agents and websites catered to this particular country. Other countries have their own agents that are popular among the locals so keep that in mind when planning and traveling. If you have travel agents or websites that you recommend that I neglected to mention by all means leave a comment telling me about it.

Another thing I want to add is about flights and in particular; transfers. I have done both non-stop flights and flights with transfers. I personally hate transfers. A lot can go wrong and when all you want to do is go home transferring elsewhere can be a hassle. An example of this was when I was flying back from NY to the Netherlands. I had a transfer in Italy. The flight leaving from NY was delayed two hours and because of that the flight I was supposed to be on in Italy left without me! I had to wait a few hours at the airport for the next available flight to Amsterdam. I went with the transfer flight because it was cheaper but I learned from this experience I am going with non-stop from now on!

Now mind you there are people who don’t mind transfers. You can get great deals with transfer flights. Some enjoy the experience of going elsewhere while on their way to their main destination. My experience has shaped my travel from here on out but it might not for others. I will have more information on agents, airlines and anything else relevant to vacationing as I have them, if you have anything that others might enjoy by all means share your secrets!

travel, travel sites, ticket deals, vacations

travel, travel sites, ticket deals, vacations