The following is a guest post from Emily Starbuck Gerson (above w/ Bryan, her husband to be), a travel junkie and professional writer based in Austin, Texas. Emily is recently engaged, so she is in the process of researching honeymoons. She runs the travel blog Maiden Voyage, and you can follow her on Twitter at @TheMaidenVoyage. Her site is awesome so check it out. Go. Now.

Who actually uses their fine china? Do you really need a gravy boat? Now that I’m engaged and starting to think about where to register, the typical wedding gifts just don’t interest me. That doesn’t mean we don’t want gifts to celebrate our marriage! We just don’t want things we don’t need, especially since we already have too much stuff from combining our two lives. As an avid traveler, one of the things I’m most excited about is the honeymoon. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about HoneyFund.com, a website that lets you register your honeymoon for free. It’s a great way to receive gift money you can use toward your honeymoon while giving guests the feeling of actually giving you something as opposed to just handing over some cash (or buying you something you don’t need).

Before you use HoneyFund, you do need to have a pretty solid idea of what you want to do for your honeymoon, but if you use it properly, you can earn loads of gift money for your honeymoon. On HoneyFund.com’s website, they show testimonials from couples who used it in the past and received between $3,500 and $6,000 through the site. Granted, you have to have many guests and/or guests with generous budgets to make it possible, but HoneyFund is a great way to officially accept and keep track of gift money for your honeymoon. If you make a wedding website, you can give the link to your HoneyFund registry on there, just like couples do with traditional wedding registries. Once you create a HoneyFund.com account, you can give some details about your wedding. You then create a basic greeting that appears at the top of your registry, where you can welcome guests to the page and thank them for participating. In this blurb, I plan to mention that we appreciate the help making our dream honeymoon a reality, and that we promise to bring home plenty of pictures to share. The free account lets you choose a themed vacation image to go on the page, but your HoneyFund registry page itself will look quite plain and have some Google ads. It’s not unsightly, but it’s a bit bland. They offer an upgrade to their Premium service for $29; this will give you an attractive and detailed registry page design (you pick from several), a photo slideshow of you, professional images of your registry items, and no ads. I’m definitely tempted to upgrade.

Next, you give a brief description of your honeymoon and begin to itemize your trip. List out the basic things you need, or things you think guests will enjoy contributing toward. A romantic dinner on the beach. A couples massage at the spa. An hour on a jet ski. A puddlejumper flight from one island to another. Breakfast in bed. An afternoon of horseback riding. Two nights at a hotel. You outline what you need and how much it costs, and you can add a photo for each item if you want. If you need some inspiration, HoneyFund provides many sample registries (http://www.honeyfund.com/SampleRegistries). While your great aunt may bestow you $500, most wedding guests can probably only give you somewhere between $25 and $100. HoneyFund.com allows you break each item into units, allowing guests with a smaller budget to contribute toward bigger items. Let’s say your plane flights to and from your honeymoon cost $1,000. You would list the item as “Plane flight to Mexico.” You would give the total amount as $1,000, but then you select the quantity and price. For example, you could make it 40 units of $25, or you could make it 20 units of $50, or 10 units of $100. As guests buy up units of it, it displays how many units you still need. Say I go with 10 units of $1,000. If someone buys up two of these units, it will show that I still need eight more. The fact that guests can select which item (or items) they want to donate toward allows them to feel like they know what they’re giving you (even if you end up using that amount of money for something else on the trip). Rather than someone just giving you cash and not knowing what you’ll do with it, your guests get the gratification of knowing that they helped you enjoy something special on your honeymoon.

Another thing that makes it easier is you can select how guests pay you; one option is for them to mail a check to you, in which case you give the site your address so your guests know where to send it. There is also an option to give a check at the wedding, so the guest will just pledge the amount online and then (hopefully!) give you the check at the actual event. Another option is PayPal, which allows your guests to directly give you the money online. The site will give your guests your contact information in case they have any questions. Just like with any other wedding registry, from the homepage, guests can enter your last name to find your registry. Once you start getting gifts, your account will keep track of everything for you; the gift, the giver, the amount, the pledge date, and the payment date, and you can add the thank you date. There’s also a tab for “other gifts,” so you can keep track of other wedding gifts and money on here, too!

I’ve started playing around with our HoneyFund registry and it’s very user-friendly, and I can’t believe it’s free. We haven’t decided on honeymoon plans just yet so I haven’t published it, but I have enjoyed playing around with it. You can go back and edit your details at any time. We will probably have a real registry for tangible things at one place to satisfy the really traditional folks, but we will only have a few basic and truly-needed things, like new towels and silverware. But we plan to make HoneyFund our primary registry—we live together and already have tons of stuff! We would rather have an incredible honeymoon experience, and I love that this service exists to make that easier.

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(All Wedding Photos by Nariko’s Nest Photography (aka: me). If you want more information or want to inquire about having your wedding photographed by Nariko’s Nest please contact me at Beth@NarikosNest.com. BeersandBeans readers get 20% and all destination weddings book at 50% off regular rates!! To see more photos please visit NarikosNest.com)

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

From the food to the people, the architecture to the wafting smells of chocolate & baking bread, Oaxaca is a beautiful city that is a feast for the senses. I absolutely loved Oaxaca and I would recommend it to anyone. The photos below are some that I took just walking around town. While some of them are not the most exciting, they give you a great taste of some of the beauty that the city holds. If you get a chance – go to Oaxaca. You won’t regret it.

If you’re curious to learn more about Oaxaca you can view some of my previous posts:

Street Photos – Oaxaca, Mexico

Inside Oaxaca’s Hidden Market

Oaxaca City Blues

The Wonderful, Beautiful Food of Oaxaca

Hostal Del Mercado, Oaxaca – A Hostel Review

Move over Margarita! Michelada has come to town.

Somewhere in Time Photo 1

Somewhere in Time Photo 2

Somewhere in Time Photo 3

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

Whew, in about 8 weeks we are finally off to see the world. It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable. It’s really almost overwhelming. This trip has been planned for about 3 years now.

I almost can’t believe it’s happening.

The fact that it is becoming a reality is actually making me nervous. But why? This is my dream. This is the one thing I have had throughout all the ups & downs in the past few years. This trip has made me happier than pretty much anything else but it has also made me more emotional and more upset than anything as well.

Which, when I started planning my “bunnies & rainbows” idea of the trip, was not something I expected. I didn’t expect the almost daily reminder that this is the “right thing” to do, the constant self battle of wondering “I am screwing up my life in a horrible way?” “Is 34 too old to do something like this?”  “Will I ever be able to financially support myself, have a family and still live the life I dream about?”

Holy crap, I serious never expected any of that.  Several years ago one of my dearest, oldest (we’ve known each other since we were 12) and best friends in the world said something that resonated with me.

“You can’t just live life, you have to live YOUR life.”

I always remembered those words because they are simple, yet so true. It’s something most people ignore – the calling of your own life. I know, deep inside, this is what I am supposed to be doing and, come hell or high water, I am going to do it.

Breaking the mold sucks though. Especially at 34. Everyone expects you to travel in your 20′s, not your 30′s and for obvious, good reasons like kids & saving for retirement. Breaking away from that is hard. You have nothing to defend your choice except for the gut feeling that this is what you should be doing.

Defending your choice to others is easy, defending it to yourself is another thing entirely.

But I know there is something for me on the road. I don’t know what it is but I know it exists. Everything in my life has been pushing me in this direction. Random people have come into my life that have pushed me towards this. First there was Andrea who had just spent 4 months bouncing around Southeast Asia, then there was my coworker Rich who had just returned from a 10 month RTW with his wife. Last but not least was Ryan, who was a really great friend of mine that I met on Craigslist of all places and NO it was not on a personals ad. We met up one night in Mission Beach, we went out for drinks and became insta-friends. I mean how stupid is it for a girl to go around befriending someone on Craigslist  and then actually meet them and hang out with them? Stupid! But we had a great friendship that lasted for years. Ryan was probably my biggest push because he was pretty much a perma traveler, having moved to San Diego after 3 years traveling around the world. Now he lives in Indonesia. He was like a real life version of everything I had read about online. Before these friendships, I had never met anyone that had traveled long term before. But there they came marching into my life, one after the next, proving to me that it was possible and awesome to travel long term.

I use to work all the time, 10 – 12 hour days, in real estate which was extremely stressful. It’s a really horrible way to live. In my opinion, it isn’t even a life. It’s just a routine.

Then when I was 31 I was diagnosed with cancer. I learned early on that working all the time is really unhealthy. The diagnosis delayed the original trip leave date (which bummed me out to no end at the time) but it was a blessing in disguise because it gave me even more courage to get out and follow my dreams. I got the not so subtle tap on the ass that said “This is not the way you are supposed to be living.” Some people go their entire lives without realizing that.

But because my body was revolting in a very literal way, I figured out pretty quick that the way I was living wasn’t going to work for me and in hindsight, that was a bonus.  Also whenI got sick I did what ever sick person does but knows they shouldn’t do – I Googled it. I Googled everything and anything about thyroid cancer. Googling an illness is really a double edged sword because for the 1% of good information you find there is a ton of crap that will just scare the shit out of you. However, in my case the 1% was worth it because I made internet friends with a guy in England who was battling leukemia. Adrian Sudbury was a really amazing person who had a huge impact on my life in a very strange, almost spiritual way. Although he is no longer with us and we never actually met in person, through our brief emails and my bizarre dreams, he pushed me towards the trip in a strange round about way as well.

I do believe we are all connected by a single thread and that things happen for a reason. I know I’m supposed to be traveling but yet with all of the things that have happened and all of the people who have influenced me I still find it hard to take the leap.

Even though I can see right through it, walking away from the ideals created by our normal ways of life is still tough.

I didn’t expect that with everything else, I would be my own stumbling block to changing my own life.

I am pretty sure that I am going to be doing a good, fair share of tear shedding over the next few weeks as we get ready to depart. This morning I cried in the car over the idea of leaving my baby little Chachy behind. But he’ll be happy with my sister, she has a house with a yard and a lot of sunlight. Right now he’s sleeping in a hand bag while I type this at Borders because we don’t have a real apartment and the campground doesn’t have electricity. He’s such a great little dog, no one here even knows he’s in there. He’ll be happy when he has some stability. Hopefully I’ll be happy when I have none.

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

A couple days ago I did a review on the campground at Anza Borrego Desert and how you can camp for free. To read that review, click here.

We also did an amazing hike when we were out there. I highly recommend doing this hike if you are in the area. I love the desert but I have never actually been on a desert hike where I came across a small river and a huge canyon of palm trees!

It was unbelievable to see all of this life flourishing under the hot desert sun. It was magical really. Around every corner there were different plants, animals and then finally the canyon filled with palm trees. It was really unique.

The hike was called the Palm Canyon Hike and was about 6.5 miles R/T. It is worth it but make sure you bring a ton of water with you! It can get very, very hot. Take extra precautions if you are headed out any time during the summer.

Here are some pics from the hike.

(Someone decided to start the trail off with a smiley face!)

(This picture may not seem like much but remember these plants are blooming under the hot, arid desert sun – it’s amazing!)

(Part of the hiking path.)

(A beautiful, blooming Octillo cactus.)

(Water in the desert! What??!!)(The really cool palm canyon. Looks like it should be on a scene in Lost.)

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

Disclaimer: A couple people have written to me thinking that I am mad at my mother. This is meant to be a funny story. I am not mad at my mom in any way and she is the best mom anyone could ever ask for. I have already asked her what she thought of me posting this story (to add some history to the post) and she said that she didn’t mind. Tomorrow is her birthday and I wanted to send her some flower pictures. Please don’t think I am mad at my mother or that I dislike her in any way. She is awesome!

Many moons ago when I was a photo student I was thinking of transferring colleges. I had an interview at another school and was asked to bring my best photography portfolio. At the time my portfolio was REALLY dark. I don’t mean the colors but the theme was dark. I was struggling with change, growing up and all the emotions that go along with that ball of wax. I was inspired by the likes of Sally Mann, Cindy Sherman, Julia Margaret Cameron and Joel-Peter Witkin to name a few.  My images weren’t happy ones but they were very real to me. I was really proud of my portfolio. My teachers and classmates liked it and I loved it. However my mother HATED it.

Anyway, she always used to bug me to take pictures of “something nice, like flowers” instead. This was something she asked me to do over and over again. So much so that now it is a joke between us. No way! I was an artist, I wasn’t about to spend my hard earned angst on freaking flowers! Gross.

Well she and my father drove me to my interview (at the new school) and I had all of my photos in a large envelope without matting, as requested by the school. I fell asleep in the back seat and my mother was holding the envelope, which I didn’t think twice about.

Until I got into the interview.

I went in and met with the Dean of the college prepared to show him my best work. After I described my portfolio I started taking out the accompanying photos. Imagine my complete surprise when I saw that, while I was sleeping, my mother had taken out ALL of the photos that I thought were the best. All of the ones with the darkest undertones. All of the ones she hated the most.

All that was left was random filler crap. I was speechless. It made me look like an idiot and it made me look like I didn’t prepare at all for the interview. Now at this point I didn’t realize this was my mother’s doing, I was thinking that maybe I actually forgot to bring the right pictures. I was totally dumbfounded and my interview was a total bomb because of it.

I walked out back into the car where my parents were waiting and surprise, surprise what was in there – my missing photos! My mom decided (although she has absolutely no background in art) that she was going to help me out by removing the photos she didn’t like. She assumed that a highly ranked photography only art school wouldn’t like them either.  What?!!?? I was so pissed, as anyone would be. I mean can you even imagine! My blood, sweat & tears removed just like that. She really thought at the bottom of her heart though that she was doing the right thing and that she was helping me out.

Well long story short, because of my bombed interview and ridiculous photo presentation I didn’t get into that school. Which was probably a blessing in disguise. Instead I made the best friends a person could ask for at UMass Dartmouth and had an absolute blast in their art department. So it’s a long time coming but -

Thanks mom for bombing my interview! I made amazing friends who I still know today and you saved me thousands of dollars in student loan debt that I would’ve acquired at the private art school! In the end it was for the best – so thank you!!

Since tomorrow is your birthday and I’m not there in person I wanted to send you this little photo collection I made just for you. It took about 15 years for but here it is -

Flowers! Flowers! Flowers!

I still don’t like shooting them but I have come to peace with it since I love you so much! Plus the desert wildflowers are pretty nice aren’t they?

Wish I was there but I will see you in about a month. I Love You – Happy Birthday!!!!

Love,

Your flower-shooting daughter

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

Ahhh… the lovely three free! Now we are going to focus on one of my favorite cities – San Diego! Yah!

As summer is warming up the ocean waters and tourists are coming in by the boat load, I thought this would be perfect timing for anyone planning a trip to what is self proclaimed as “America’s Greatest City”. San Diego really is an incredible city and from wine tasting lessons in the park to Hare Krishna temples, taco shops & surf shops (and the hot surfers that go along with them) on every beach block, it has something for everyone! I’ve been here for 6 years and it’s really hard to leave.

Balboa Park

(A beautiful courtyard in Balboa Park.)

Ok, there isn’t anything unusual about Balboa Park but it is too incredible not to note here. Balboa Park is a must stop for anyone visiting the park. There are museums (many which are free once a month), impeccable gardens, amazing Spanish architecture, food, wine, shopping – the list goes on and on. Of course some of those things (like food) involve money but really you don’t need to spend a dime to have a great time here. It’s a huge park, right in the middle of the city and if you go on a Sunday you can pack a picnic and listen to the awesome outdoor organ pavillion. You can also bring your own wine – bonus! There’s also a great dog park here so your pooch can run around and get a work out in. For more information on Balboa park including some awesome other free things to do check out a post I wrote a few months back on it.

Day trip to Tijuana

(Waiting for some street tacos. Yum!)

Yes, I realize some of you will think this is a crazy idea but really it’s not. Tijuana is fun, interesting and it’s a different country located just 20 minutes away from the center of San Diego. So you get all the wonderful Mexican culture the minute you walk over the border. (ok, the first minute you walk across is kinda boring & dirty). Head over to the Zio Rio and walk along the shops or see what your eyes might spy in the red light district. Just drive or take the trolley to the border and walk across. Prepare for a long wait on the way back into the U.S. but just enjoy it – it really is all part of the experience. You might even see the children fire blowers. Yes they blow fire, yes they are young children – it really is just 100% wrong – you’ll think the same thing if you see it. In any case, you’ll have an interesting time in Tijuana without even spending any money. Of course forking up $2 for a margarita & $1 for 3 street tacos might not be the worlds worst idea either. Just saying.

Tip: US Dollars are welcomed everywhere in TJ and be sure to take the $$ out of the ATM before you cross the border so you don’t get hit with the big international fee from your bank. While you may not spend any $$ while you are there be sure to take some with you in case you need to pay a bribe, etc. Never go to Mexico without some cash as a back up plan. If you are looking for Spanish style items for your house you’ll find them in Tijuana at less than half the going rate in San Diego. If you want to drive into Mexico – check out these tips I wrote a while back.

Hike Torrey Pines State Reserve, watch the hang -gliders  & if you’re brave enough visit the all nude beach at the bottom of the cliffs!

(Torrey Pines Beach, Cliffs & Hang Gliders courtesy Mikol_ice's Flickr Photostream.)

Torrey Pines is BEAUTIFUL! Sandstone cliffs line the waters edge and lead you down to a sparkling ocean and huge beach. When I first moved here I did this hike and really fell in love with San Diego. It’s gorgeous. This is also the only place you’ll spot the Torrey Pine Tree. The hike down isn’t hard but coming back up is a good work out. It is a cliff so you have to be careful where you walk but if you are really fit and great with balance you can bring a surfboard down the cliffs to the break below. I, personally, would not attempt this because I have a hard time carrying a surfboard anyway but Randy has done it a couple times. On the bluff atop the cliffs there is a hang- gliding company and people run off the cliffs and glide around over the ocean before coming back. I feel bad for the suckers who end up in the water because that’s a tough walk up with all that equipment. I have seen it happen before too.

Now directly below the hang gliding section is where the nude beach is. Fun! There is no dividing line between the nude beach (Black’s Beach) and the regular beach but you’ll figure it out pretty quickly when you see swaths of older, naked men sunning themselves. There are some ladies as well but mainly it’s men. It’s fun really! You don’t have to be nude to enjoy the sites, in fact if you go walking around there fully clothed you will definitely meet people. I was there a while back with my friend (fully clothed) and people kept coming up to us left and right. It was funny. We even took pictures with a sociable naked man (except for his hat & sunglasses!). Those pictures were actually taken with a film camera so I can’t share them here but it was an unforgettable experience. If you’re not into nakedness – no worries, the rest of the beach is a normal bathing suit zone. So you can hike down and relax on the beach for a few hours in your bathing suit without even seeing naked people. But really can you do that when you know there are naked people frolicking in the ocean just about 1/4 mile away? Me neither.

Click here to see a Three Free things to do in other cities.

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

One of my favorite ways to shoot is from the hip. Oaxaca was a great place to walk around and do this all day. The city is full of great colors, amazing faces and beautiful buildings. I also have some more typical pictures from around the town that I will put in another post but for now I leave you with the street photos. These are some of my favorite from the trip.  I didn’t notice this until I was editing the photos but apparently the lady below was not too happy with me, which I think is pretty funny.
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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

At Beers and Beans we like to highlight what is good in the world. We love to feature people who are working hard to make a difference and trying to change things. We maintain a really great volunteering list on this site for that purpose. The list is great but it is just a list. It can’t take the place of being able to chat & talk to people who are actually changing the world, one country at a time.

In this case, it’s Bernard Pollack & Danielle Nierenberg of BorderJumpers.org.

They contacted me due to the similarities of our blog content and I was completely blown away after I did some poking around on their site. They are amazing people!

Danielle & Bernard make the world a better place.

If you haven’t seen their website you should definitely check it out. They are currently in the middle of traveling through Africa and at every stop they are meeting with farmers, community organizers, labor activists/leaders, unions, non-governmental organization (NGOs), the funding and donor communities, and local press.

Why are they doing this?

Their goal is to bring stories of hope from across the region to as large an audience as possible. They tell the stories that aren’t being told—from oil workers fighting to have a union in Nigeria to innovative ways farmers and pastoralists are coping with climate change.

Their blog is fantastic with updates every day on a variety of topics – including videos & photos of meeting with local farmers & community leaders,  hotel reviews and local African music reviews. If you head over to their site you will be thoroughly impressed with their knowledge on community issues & food sustainability. While traveling Danielle also currently works as the Project Director of State of World 2011 for the Worldwatch Institute. She also maintains a blog there and several writing columns as well. Bernard is also a travel writer that has been featured in several different publications.

They are a pretty awesome team and they’re doing some really incredible things. It was an honor to interview them and pick their brains a bit about their massive undertaking. The interview is really interesting and hopefully if you are considering volunteering or getting off the backpacker trail to do a bit more community service on your next trip, reading about Danielle & Bernard can help you overcome any hesitation or fears you might have.

Without further ado, here is Bernard & Danielle in their own words:

You are traveling to almost every country in Africa on a mission. Why Africa?

Why almost every country in Africa and is there a reason you are leaving some off the list?

D: Thanks Bethany for the opportunity to join you on Beers and Beans. We’re hitting countries where we’ve made contact with NGOs, farmers groups, workers, and policy makers who are working on different projects to help alleviate hunger and poverty. And, unfortunately, there are some countries which are too dangerous for us to visit right now, including Sudan and Somalia. But we hope to visit them in the future.

B: Also, we are tired with all the misconceptions about Africa. All we hear in the media is about conflict, HIV/AIDS, famine and disease. You almost never hear anything positive, and as a result people think the situation is hopeless. That’s why everywhere we go we are looking at African-led innovations and sharing those stories, in hopes of reaching the funding and policy making community so they can get scaled up or replicated, but also to challenge misconceptions that things in Africa are “beyond repair.” After sixteen countries and 130 projects visited so far, we’ve really seen firsthand how much incredible work is happening on the ground here and I’ve never felt so much hope.

You left for Africa in October 2009 – how long do you plan to travel?

D: The trip will last through the end of 2010, about fifteen months in total, taking us across Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Africa.

What are your goals when meeting with the area leaders, farmers, etc?

D: We want to be able to tell their stories about the agricultural innovations that they’re working with to help alleviate hunger and poverty. We’re interested in not only how their practices increase yields, but in how they reduce labor or increase on-farm biodiversity or help increase income or send more children to school.

Has it been difficult getting access to some of the people you want to meet?

D: People have been extremely welcoming and interested in having us learn more about their work. Because we’re not just highlighting famine, conflict, HIV/AIDS or the other “bad news” coming out of Africa, but also highlighting the good news from the continent, people are especially excited about our work. There is incredible progress being made in Africa and it needs to be highlighted so that it can get more attention and investment.

B: People are surprisingly willing to open up and we get a really warm response when they hear that we are here to highlight stories of hope and success. People are often working as volunteers in thankless roles under the most difficult of circumstances, so a little bit of recognition goes a long way. Also, a lot of these projects don’t have any way to reach beyond their communities, no website, no funding for self-promotion or materials, so they can use our write-up to develop grants, showcase their work to potential funders, and use as a tool for sharing their work with other stakeholders and policymakers.

Danielle, I see that you spent two years in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corp volunteer. How would you say that has prepared you for this trip?

D: Being a Peace Corps volunteer taught me a lot: how to live and work in sometimes difficult situations, including without running water and electricity, but it also taught me how much I don’t know. I learn so much from the farmers groups and womens cooperatives and policymakers I meet. It’s was an experience that has helped prepare me for my travels throughout Africa.

If you could tell the readers one thing about preparing for a trip similar to yours what would it be?

B: I would tell people that Africa is totally not what you expect. People are often afraid to take a risk here, so they plan very packaged vacations for things like the World Cup or a safari. We couldn’t imagine a more friendly, or welcoming place to travel. People treat us like family, opening their homes to us, introducing us to their friends, and sharing their homes and their dreams. Traveling here is easier than we thought it would be, even on a shoe-string budget.

What country in Africa have you visited that you would recommend to everyone?

B: Go to Madagascar! Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital city, was a place we fell in love with. The narrow streets, alleyways, cobblestone roads, and historic buildings remind you, at times, of parts of Western Europe. At the same time the markets, the noise, the traffic, the energy, the goats and livestock walking along the highways, were all quintessentially African.

We didn’t see a lot of tourists and the country’s economy is hurting as a result. Empty bars, restaurants, and markets were everywhere we went. But with that said, the people were not only friendly and welcoming, but extraordinarily kind, going out of their way to help us, share their culture, and practice their English (while we practiced our pathetic French).

And we spent Danielle’s birthday trekking in the rain forest in search of lemurs in the national rain forest of Antanarivo. It’s a truly magical place!

Have you met anyone on your travels that has had a direct effect on you and your view of the world?

D: That’s a tough question because so many people have touched our lives forever. During our visit to Uganda, and as part of our research for the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project, we spent time with Edward Mukiibi and Roger Serunjogi, coordinators of the Developing Innovations in School Cultivation (DISC) project. Both Eddie and Roger are in their early twenties and started the project as a way to teach school children about food traditions, nutrition, and the environment. They’ve established gardens in more than a dozen schools outside of Kampala.

We visited several schools with them, including a preschool called Sunrise, where they were teaching children how to grow amaranth, spiderweed, and other indigenous vegetables amd it’s just so amazing to see how all their students are excited about farming and no longer see agriculture as an option of last resort, but rather as a way to make money, help their communities, and preserve biodiversity.

Are you partaking in any tourist activities while on the road? Watching gorillas? Doing any Wine Tasting in South Africa?

B: We definitely try to take breaks — some highlights included a weekend trip to Zanzibar in Tanzania, long days swimming in the Indian ocean in Mauritius, treking lemurs in Madagascar, visiting wildlife refuges and preservers in Malawi, the genocide museum in Kigali, Rwanda, spending time in Africa’s slums of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya and in Soweto in Jburg, South Africa; and so much more.

What do you hope to accomplish through your travels & blog?

D: We’ve made a point during this trip to focus on stories of hope and success in agriculture. Most of what Americans hear about Africa is famine, conflict and HIV/AIDS, and we wanted to highlight the things that are going well on the continent. There’s a lot of hope out here – a lot of individuals and organizations doing terrific work – but that doesn’t necessarily translate into them receiving resources or funding.

We hope to create a roadmap for funders and the donor community and shine a big spotlight on the projects and innovations that seem to be working, so that they can be scaled up or replicated in other places. Please check out our site and sign up for our weekly newsletter — and if you know anyone or project we should visit on the continent, please email me at dnierenberg@worldwatch.org.

You do a lot of hostel/hotel reviews. What has been your favorite African accommodation thus far?

B: What we look for in a budget hostel pretty much goes in this order: (1) clean (2) centrally located with security (3) less than $30.00 USD a night for a double private room (4) free wifi (5) the ability to cook our own food (6) hot water (7) air-conditioning. We found several budget hostels, B&B’s or hotels that have most if not all of these qualities (places we highly recommend — most you will not find in Lonely Planet) including Kingz Plaza in Dakar, Senegal; Aponye Hotel in Kampala, Uganda; Mighty Victory hotel in Cape Coast, Ghana; Sunbury B&B in Jburg, South Africa; Small World Backpackers in Harare, Zimbabwe; Mufasa Lodge in Lilongwe, Malawi; KuOmboko Hostel in Lusaka, Zambia; Sakamanga Hotel in Antanarivo, Madagascar; the Grand Bay Beach Tourist Residence in Grand Bay, Mauritius, and others.

Here’s also a quick video from Bernard & Danielle which gives a brief glimpse their adventure and what’s it’s been like to visit 15 African countries in 5 months. I have tried to upload it and for some reason it won’t work, so if you click the link below – you can view it.

15 Countries – 5 Months

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this interview. Please let me know if you would like to be interviewed or if you can think of anyone else that would be interested.

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share. Thanks!

(The ocean view from the campground.)

NOTE: To read more tips on getting a good site and saving 1/2 off of your rate, read our other post about saving $$ while camping at California state beach campgrounds.

Carlsbad State Beach campground is really pretty nice. As far as I can tell it’s pretty laid back, filled mainly with retiree’s and families. We’ve stayed here a couple times now and I’ve yet to see any big parties going on.

The layout is a bit boring – it’s basically one straight road with spots on either side. It’s not a private campground by any means, you will be surrounded by other campers.

It is located on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the waves are really loud and will lull you to sleep which is quite nice. The sunsets are beautiful.

This campground has a store, an education area for kids and surfboard rentals! This is a pretty big surf spot so rent a board and try your luck. There are several staircases leading from the campground to the beach. The beach is also perfect for swimming & just walking along the shore.

This campground does not have electricity at any of the sites. If you need to plug in your computer you’ll have to bring a chair into one of the bathrooms or into the laundry room.

They do charge an extra $12 to keep an extra car at the site but there is a large residential area right outside the campground where you can park an extra car if you need to.

Is this the right campground for you?

This is a great place to camp if you want to relax, read and sit on the beach for a few days. It’s great for families and retiree’s. If you’re looking for a place to camp and party you will be better off down the street at San Elijo State Beach (which I am writing a review up for next week). This campground feels a bit more private and it is definitely a lot quieter than San Elijo.

Know before you go:

This campground fills up fast! If you’re going to be here on the weekend make sure to make your reservation 48 hrs in advance. If you drive in, you will most likely not get a site.

$35/ inland site  $50/ocean site  $12/day for an additional car (yes a trailer is a car), showers $1 for 3 minutes

Did you like this article? If so, consider retweeting below or stumbling it. Better yet sign up for our RSS feed OR get the goodies delivered directly to your inbox! Consider yourself hugged.
*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share. Thanks!

Three Free – A weekly round up of three free & unique things to do in different cities around the world.

We’re starting a new thing here at Beers and Beans. Every week or so we will be highlighting three free things to do in different cities around the world. When we’re traveling we’ll be updating this category even more. It’s going to be a great resource for budget travelers all around the world and we’re aiming for some unique ideas that don’t typically pop up in online searches. This week we’re starting off with Randy’s favorite city and the place he misses living on an almost daily basis – San Francisco.

City Lights Bookstore

City Lights at Night

This is a must for any literary lovers, especially those interested in the beat literature. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to hang out with such greats as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg & Neal Cassady – City Lights is where you’ll want to hunker down for at least a few hours. This was their big hang out, a place they got inspiration from, gave readings, got published & bought books. On top of being an amazing bookstore it’s also home to a publishing company – City Lights Publishing. In fact, it was this underground publishing company that first published Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”.  This  independent bookstore has been around since the 1950′s and has a huge following. In fact it has played such a unique role in the history of San Francisco it is now an official landmark in the city. It’s a great stop for anyone who wants to relax for a few hours and escape the San Fran craziness.

Jack Kerouac Alley - City Lights to the right and Vesuvio's on the left.

Located in the heart of North Beach, you can’t miss it as you walk down Columbus Avenue. They have continual free readings and they even have their own podcast. If you happen to have a few bucks you can stop by the saloon next door, Vesuvio’s. It’s old, unique & awesome. Having a drink (or 3) there is a great way to continue your bask in beat literature. Being separated from City Lights by only a small

Vesuvio's

alley (aptly named Jack Kerouac Alley), this is the local bar they all frequented.  These two spots go hand in hand and quite frequently the alley takes on at life of it’s own with impromptu readings and jam sessions. It’s really an awesome section of the city that shouldn’t be missed. You can learn more about City Lights by visiting their website: City Lights Books. You can learn more about Vesuvio’s by visiting their site: Vesuvio’s.

Dolores Park

Dolores Park, San Francisco

Dolores Park is located in the Castro and is an excellent way to take in the views of downtown San Francisco. Being in the heart of the Castro it’s a pretty exciting park and it’s a great place to people watch while relaxing and maybe munching down on a burrito from one of the awesome taco shops that surround the park. Groups of all kinds gather here on a consistent basis. The last time I was there I ran into a large hula hoop group. It was awesome! Literally dozens of people overtook the park with their hula hoops and boom boxes.

Full Hula Hoop Action

Armed with only my trusty burrito I was so bummed I couldn’t participate!  This park has also been the site for many political rallies and festivals of all kinds. If you’re visiting San Francisco at the end of June for the annual Gay Pride Parade this would be an excellent place to hang out.

Interesting sights at Dolores Park.

It is also the starting point for the annual Dyke March and the Trans March. If you’re looking to chill outside at a beautiful park for a couple hours and don’t want to end up bored – this is the park you want to do it at. You will see cool things and meet awesome people.

People Watch at the Bay To Breakers Race

Nakedness abound at Bay to Breakers!

Bay to Breakers is a 12k run that spans the city.  Why would it be fun to watch people run a race? Well because it isn’t just any old race, it’s a San Francisco race. What does that mean? Well in two words – it’s awesome!  Of course some people take the race seriously and run it to win, however most people (read 98%) run/walk it just for fun. In fact I think half the people who run it aren’t actual paid participants. Especially the naked ones that have nothing to pin their numbers on!

An interesting group of people at Bay to Breakers. I think that's Lady Gaga in the back!

There are costumes galore, drinks are flowing continuously (which I’ve been told is still currently legal) and most fun of all -  nakedness abounds everywhere! Mainly it comes in the form of unfit, middle aged men stark naked, except for running shoes and a visor. It’s hysterical, goofy and a lot of fun. You will see groups of all kinds running the race and with all the ridiculousness surrounding you,  by just hanging out on the street you simply won’t be able avoid joining in on the fun in some way.  I’m quite bummed because I thought Bay to Breakers was this weekend and planned my post accordingly however it looks like it was a couple weeks ago. In any case, unleash your inhibitions and make your plans now for next year because it is the 100th annual race and it is sure to be absolute mayhem!

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*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I love to share. Thanks!