Doug’s Travels

Has had a very long and tiring traveling day.

But has not traveled anywhere.

I spent the whole time a ranging a flight.  It seems that these days, you have to be your own travel agent.  Yes, flights are a little bit cheaper.  But I would rather pay a little more and have someone else worry about the details, instead of spending the whole day doing it myself.  I am worth more than $50 today!

Actually, I did use as travel agent to begin with.  But then I had to change my plans.  Although I did tell my travel agent clearly what my needs where, she gave me such a restrictive ticket that I could not reuse it the way I needed to.  It took half a day to bend the rules so that I could reuse the ticket.  It took another half day to figure out my various traveling options.  As it turns out, my travel agent was not available to help me out when I really needed her.

Next time, I will do it all myself online.  Last time I tried this, it took quite a while.  I thought a travel agent would be easier.  Today learns that it can be much harder.  I just have to learn how to be my own travel agent.

It is hard to find an experienced travel agent who can give you what you need, or so it seems.  Eventually, I should be able to sort myself out in less than an hour.

Unfortunately, between airlines, the complexity of the deals now available, and incompetent travel agents (I have dealt with a few such agents), travel agents aren’t worth much.  I think this is a great shame.  But it is the reality of travel today.

I have started studying Spanish on my own.  Foreign English speaker, the hardest part is learning how to pronounce the alphabet.  And so used to pronouncing letters a certain way, that it is very hard to read words out of the dictionary and pronounce them properly.  In fact, if I read words that is the dictionary, it is totally incomprehensible to the locals.

Still, and better off than attempting to read Thai at the Thai dictionary.  When I arrived at the airport in Bangkok, I called a hotel and attempted to read a phrase from a phrase book.  It came out his complete gibberish.  Probably, the man who answered thought I was drunk.  He hung up on me.  It took me a long time to learn how to speak any Thai at all.  And I had no luck using a Thai dictionary at all.

Spanish though, is much easier.  I will be able to read from a dictionary, when I learned how to pronounce the letters properly.  For example the letter “i” should be pronounce like an “e”.  This is very hard to get used to.

And training myself with flash cards and I made.  On the front of each card, I have the letter of the alphabet.  On the back of each card, I have the correct pronunciation.  The use my own phonetic system that makes sense to me.

After a few hours of drilling over a couple of days, and able to pronounce most so letters correctly most of the time.  What a difference this makes!  I find it and able to actually read words out of the dictionary, even though I do not really know how to speak any Spanish yet.

Finally, am reunited with my dad!  Last night, my landlady called the Oaxaca Airport.  My dad had arrived, and she arrange to have them send it to a down town office where I could collect it.  I was close to having to actually go cloths shopping.  Perish the thought!  I hate close shopping, and Oaxaca does not seem to have anywhere tolerable for close shopping, as far as I’m concerned.

A return to my room with my bag.  I take a nice hot shower, using my soap, and my shampoo.  Then, I call my hair with the comb that doesn’t bend when I use it.  I have a shave with the kind of razor I like, and brush my teeth with a brush  and tooth paste that I like.  There’s more to the simple things and you might think until you miss them.  Nothing like a little traveling to appreciate small things like the comb and a toothbrush!

Another trip to the Internet Cafe.

The first Internet Cafe I visited in Mexico was not a great experience.  For one thing, it was expensive and the keyboard was awful.  I have since found other Internet Cafe is that are much cheaper, and have much better equipment.  Still, using a browser in Spanish is very difficult.  In Spanish keyboard is very confusing for an English speaker.  It took me for ever to find the apostrophe for example.

The next time I went to an Internet Cafe, I used my USB key.  Before leaving for Mexico, I loaded it with portable apps.  It is possible to install software such as Firefox for browsing, and Thunderbird for e-mail, on a USB key.  There are several big advantages to this.  For one thing, all the software is an English.  For another, I can carry my shortcuts in my address book with me.  Another big advantage, his privacy.  All temporary files stay on the USB key.

On previous trips, I travelled for months even years without the benefit of e-mail.  It is really nice to stay in contact with people, both my friends at home and new people and me on the road.

A USB key brings us to a whole new level.  But the USB key into any computer, and within a minute or to have the familiar environment I can work in.  This makes it very easy to compose new e-mails while uploading my inbox.  Great for slow connections.

Them sitting in the courtyard of my hostel.  What a difference for my first night!  I slept very well, and this place is much cheaper.

I find the outdoor courtyard very pleasant.  It reminds me of Thailand in a way.  Part of me wants to go back to Thailand and learn tie.  Part of the wants find it with this place is about.  Of course I am here so there is no decision!

I’m quickly learning how to get by in Spanish.  Already, I was able to ask for directions to the supermarket, and get some idea of what the response meant.  Then I saw some Americans walking down the street, loaded with groceries.  I clarified the directions from them.  Working in an unfamiliar language is like living in a haze.  Actually, more like a heavy fog.  I’m looking forward to the magic of comprehension.

I got basics such as oatmeal, salt, bananas, granola, drinking yogurt, tea, and a can of salmon.  Now that I have some basics to get me started, you not have to worry about starving to death!  To me, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than not knowing where to eat locally, or what might contain wheat leading to severe allergy symptoms.

The tea is not very good.  This is not a country that is big on tea, and the water is not that great either.  Still, it will wake me up in the morning.

The Americans told me that there is another store with much more variety.  I will shop there next time.  There’s also a local vegetable market, but I will wait until I know enough Spanish to tackle that one.

Meanwhile, I continue to await the arrival of my baggage.