It’s never raises more than a few feet above the water. It’s straight as an arrow. The fact still remains; Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge in the world. 25 miles of bridge between Metairie and Mandeville in Louisiana. One might think that this would be an interesting ride. The fact is, it’s probably hard to find a less interesting ride. Look to your left, there is water a few feet down. Look to your right, there’s water a few feet down. Look in front of you, there’s probably a car. It seems unlikely that anyone would drive off the bridge [View Full Entry]

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It's not really clear why he decided to go to Stockholm. Just a short vacation, I guess. Staying at a youth hostel makes it impossible not to talk to strangers. He's from England somewhere. Name is Gregory, or maybe Jeff. Or something. He suggests going to a pub for a beer. Since the alternative is turning in a 9pm, I'm in. We have a couple of beers, nothing extravagant, over some casual conversation. The last beer is on him. "You buy me a beer next time", he says. We both know that the odds of us meeting up again are slim [View Full Entry]

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Subletting the apartment for the summer seemed to be a great idea. Most of my rent would be absorbed, and the temporary tenant would get a nice and quiet place at a reduced price. His name was Russell. American guy, in his 40's, calm and quiet, drink- and smoke free, riding around New Orleans on his bicycle. Wouldn't cause any trouble with the apartment complex manager, would keep a very low profile. According to our written contract, he would leave upon my return. So far so good. The summer went by, and I returned. This is when I realize that Russell [View Full Entry]

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"I got my first real six-string. Bought it at the five-and-dime. Played it til my fingers bled. It was the summer of 69." Those opening lines from the opening act more or less guarantee a good show. Especially since they come from the person who came up with the whole concept of singing about his careless, happy youth, back in 1969. Linda Perry, you know the What's Up girl, served as a crowd-starter. Pretty good choice, but the main performer can carry his own show. There are only two persons during the whole show at the rather small stage at the [View Full Entry]

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The Northshore on Oahu may very well be the most laid-back place in the Western world. Even though it is probably possible to do some shopping or catch a brutal party there, the reasons for going there are usually not the mentioned. The place is apparently one of the hottest places for surfing on the planet. Hence, it attracts the surfing crowd. Non-surfers go there to chill. A perfect spot to spend a day off from school once the city life and killer (oh, well...) nightlife of Honolulu gets on your nerves. A friendly game of boule, a case of beer, [View Full Entry]

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It's like sticking your head into an aquarium, and watch the act. Hanauma Bay has the perfect features for tourists. Rather small bay, shallow, with a reef separating the ocean from the lagoon. Hundreds of snorkeling tourists every day. The underwater creatures almost seem to have rehearsed their moves in order to please the humans. Colorful fishies, random sea critters, the occasional turtle, even a reef shark every now and then. The bay is closed on Tuesdays though. Wonder why...Underwater block party? [View Full Entry]

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The road to Hana is apparently a must on Maui. There is no room for passing the car in front of you. Even if there was, passing one car would only put you behind the next one. The idea of going to Hana is a popular one. The scenery from the road is spectacular. The word "Paradise" comes to mind. Imagine what this Hana place must be like! It takes a great while to drive there on the crowded and curvy roads. Eventually you get there though, to what feels like the end of the world, the last outpost before the [View Full Entry]

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A night at the Roxbury. They told us the place was pretty nice. And it was pretty nice. We didn't have any problems getting in, as did the two nerdy guys in the movie a few years later. Maybe the dinner reservation for 40 people helped us get in the door. The upstairs dancefloor is alright. Pretty big, pretty average. I try to make conversation with the cute American girl standing right next to me. It's not going very well. Not until the DJ plays Ace Of Base, and I mention that I'm from the same country as they are, she [View Full Entry]

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Can’t remember the real names of the two American guys on tour in Europe. Bill and Ted maybe. Or Jay and Silent Bob. Or Batman and Robin. Doesn’t really matter. Bill and Ted have come to symbolize the essence of budget travel. Backpacking Europe 101. They liked Amsterdam, they like to party “if I know what they mean”. I know what they mean. They would also like to go to Sweden “to chill” for a few days. But now we’re all in Prague. After a day of sightseeing we end up temporary roommates at the nice little hostel. Basically because there [View Full Entry]

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After having spent way too much time on a train (literally too long time after having taken the wrong turn and traveled halfways through France in the wrong direction), and having found a nice little hotel, I feel a strong urge to socialize. The little hotel in Nice is nice. Probably not honored with a bunch of stars in any hotel guide. But it's clean, safe, affordable, and there are quite a few fellow budget travelers. My socializing takes the form of sitting outside on the lawn furniture, writing post cards, surrounded by other young vagabonds. But I feel a need [View Full Entry]

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