One of the little details that’s important when travelling to Africa is the shots. Unfortunately, the kind that come with needles. And you need a lot of them. My first round of vaccinations included yellow fever, typhoid, and cholera. I got the cholera vaccine at the Boots pharmacy here in London. It requires two doses, […]
Continue ReadingPlanning Tools
I have a toolbox of my favourite planning tools when working out an itinerary. I’ve had people ask me in the past what websites I use, so I thought I’d write about some of them. None of these places are paying me. Airlines Kayak.com – For years, I’ve been a Kayak devotee. It’s great for […]
Continue ReadingBoth of My Passports
Today a courier arrived with my second passport. I now have two entirely valid passports! The State Department takes a dim view of people with two passports, and their official policy is to only issue one at a time per person. However, there are two exceptions: Exception #1: You’re going to an Arab country…and you’ve […]
Continue Reading9 Rules for the Tube
The London Underground, better known as the Tube, is the world’s oldest underground railway. Back in 1863, they started running steam locomotives through these underground tunnels. It wasn’t until 1890 that a line using electric trains was built. I’m sure those sooty tunnels were good for the lungs. This isn’t the world’s first, and probably […]
Continue ReadingWhat’s in a Name?
Back in November after the Lord Mayor’s Show, I wrote this post clumsily explaining the difference between “London” and “The City of London.” I recently came across a series of videos that does a much better job than I can of explaining the history and difference between the two names. In addition, the same Youtube […]
Continue ReadingThe Phone Situation, Part 1
When I landed at Heathrow, my phone didn’t work. Not even service from a UK carrier at exorbitant roaming rates. Before I left the US, it was easy to foresee that cell service would be a problem, and I knew that I’d probably need Google Maps as I tried to navigate through London. So I […]
Continue ReadingThe UK Visa Process
My visa application is now at the UK Consulate in New York, and what a process this has been! Here’s the story so far: If I was studying in the UK for only a semester, I wouldn’t need a visa. Unfortunately, students studying for a full year need to apply for one. The first step […]
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