Discounts and Deals

TLG: We're kicking off what we hope will be a weekly alert about cool travel deals. We just got word that American Airlines is rolling out it's shiny new $1.3 billion terminal in JFK today (with a brand new Admirals Club!). That translates to savings for you, but you have to act fast. You can score a 10 percent discount anywhere American flies if you buy tickets on aa.com and use the promotional code "NYWRAP." But you've got to purchase them by September 2nd and fly by November 14th.

They've also go this downloadable DealFinder that lets you create a search by date, destination and the maximum amount you're willing to pay and then delivers flights that fit your criteria straight to your desktop. Basically, it does some of the legwork for you so you don't have to continually log on to look for new ticket prices. Happy flying!

Lost in the Mail: The Inca Trail

This week's Lost in the Mail comes to us from Rebecca Goehringer a 27-year old recruiter in Washington DC:

Q. First I must say - thank you! Your blog has helped me through the last 3 terrible months at my old company. As I was dreaming and planning of a trip around the world I came across your blog--I have hit burnout after only 4 years of work!

I am not sure when I will be able to take my 6 -12 month journey, but in the meantime I am planning smaller treks to keep myself sane.

I've been planning on hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and currently working with my travel companions to decide company offers the best deal and is the safest. I thought I would check in with you all to see if you had any advice or felt confident in the companies that you used for your hike. Would you mind sharing that information? --Rebecca

*************************

A. Hi Rebecca! We love the idea of taking smaller adventures until you can save up the cash for a larger, longer trip. Peru is the perfect place for a shorter getaway--you can sample incredible Andean cuisine (alpaca medallions! quinoa pancakes!) and surprisingly lively nightlife in Cuzco, do a homestay on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, tiptoe across suspension bridges strung in the Amazon rainforest canopy and spot massive condors as they soaring high above Colca Canyona at dawn.

Of course, no trip to the Andean highlands would be complete without a visit to the Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu. Sure, you can get there by train, but taking "the easy way" out cannot compare to seeing the ancient wonder after four days on the Inca Trail.

To answer your question, the company we used was Liz's Explorers. They not only offered one of the best deals in town, but a relatively large portion of the $350 fee goes to pay the porters and guides who work so diligently to maneuver hikers across 26 miles (and up to 13,000 feet) during the arduous journey. Another great company: SAS Travel...their treks are reasonably priced and offer cool adventure tours in Peru.

How was the experience itself? The meals on the trail were outstanding, the bathrooms were atrocious, but we loved every minute of it. Yes, even the those miserable few hours on Day Two when we thought our legs might collapse out from under us and we'd pass out from lack of oxygen. But when you get to the top of Dead Woman's Pass--and eventually to Machu Picchu itself--its impossible not to feel at least a little moved. We watched all manner of hikers--big German guys and little Asian girls--break down into tears.

At some point on day four, it hit the three of us that we'd literally walked in the footsteps of kings, on a trail that had been completely cloaked in moss and mystery for the past 400 years.

High season on the trail: May- Sept (that's winter down in Peru, and their dry season)
Low season: December and January (the trail is closed in February for repairs and it rains almost every day in summer)

To watch The Lost Girls hike the Inca Trail (on video!), visit:
http://lostgirlsworld.blogspot.com/2006/07/independence-day-on-el-camino-inca.html

For more on Peru's tour operators, hotels and other how-to info, visit the Andean Travel Web.

To learn a bit more about the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, visit Fodor's Cusco & Machu Picchu mini-guide.

-TLG

Even More Fun with Vending Machines

ADP: When I caught sight of the Proactiv Solutions vending machine in the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, I wowed, believe in to be one-of-a-kind. Silly me. As it turns out, there are an endless of gigantor machines around the globe, distributing everything from iPods to cells phone to soccer balls. Check out this YouTube video revealing some of the best:

Travel Blogs We Love: Expatriette

We're not sure if its the super-cute, girlie logo, the service-driven content or the fact that blogger Gwen Bell isn't afraid to post wacky pictures of herself, but we're totally addicted to her new travel site Expatriette. In her "vision statment," Gwen pledges to "support, empower & encourage women to travel the globe stylishly, ruggedly, with grace."

Well put, sister!

Here's a sneak peak at Gwen's fabulously girlie travel blog:

Five Myths about Money and Travel
by Expatriette

Let’s take a look at some of the myths about money and travel. Being aware of the myths brings us one train stop closer to getting out of the country. It all starts with examining our beliefs about two (closely related) topics: money and travel.

Myth #1) I’m too broke to travel.

I’ve stayed in hostels where kids didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. While I don’t advocate getting yourself into this situation, there are lessons in being broke. I hope I’ve learned them all.

You are telling yourself you’re too broke to travel. You may not be able to afford a RTW* ticket, but sometimes the dream to travel helps you realize some of your other talents, like the talent to make money when you have a goal in mind. Put the map of whatever country you’d like to visit on your bedroom door. I bet you’ll figure out a way to get there. When you do, let us know. We’re watching and rooting for you.

Myth #2) When I am rich (substitute: older, retired or grown up here), THEN, I will be able to afford to travel.

You can afford to travel now. It may take some ingenuity. Some research. Some reaching out. But even if you’re in debt, it’s possible to travel (although, you may want to meet with your financial planner to get into the nitty gritty). To think that sometime, in the far off future you will travel, or when you have enough dough in the bank, that’s called self-delusion.

Now is the best time to travel. If you have kids, there are resources to help you out there at the library, in bookstores. If you’re disabled, in school or afraid of being lonely, there are resources. If you need something in particular, please contact expatriette. It seems to me that the most oft-used “roadblock” is no roadblock at all, but a mental wall, one that can easily come down.

Myth #3) I won’t make money while I’m traveling. When I get home I’ll have to start from scratch.

The JET Programme in Japan pays recent grads twice or three times what they’d make fresh out of college in America. I’ve watched JET teachers drink the night away and found out only later that they went home with thousands of dollars to invest, drink up or go to grad school.

It’s possible to make money on the road. Lots of people do it. You can teach English, even if you’re “unqualified,” in many countries around the globe, and get paid handsomely to do so. The going rate when I left Japan at the end of 2006 was between $25-30 USD for new teachers and $40+ for experienced ones, as an example.

Myth #4) I can’t maintain my current level of income and travel simultaneously.

You can. You can set up multiple income streams. One place to start is to read the Four Hour Work Week in which Timothy Ferriss guides readers through designing multiple income streams. I’ve created multiple income streams and it makes tax time more fun that a 9-5er probably, but it only happens once a year. And if you can make it through an annual trip to the gyn, you can make it through tax season.

Brainstorming/coaching sessions are some of the best ways I know of to get ideas about how to put your dreams into action. Read Sark. She’ll help you sort yourself out.

Myth #5) Money will make happy. Then I won’t need to travel.

Okay, you’ve got me there. This may not be a myth. It’s one of those things that people rarely say outright but are inferred through conversation. People hear I’ve visited or lived in nearly two dozen countries over the past five years and they commence laundry-listing all the things they’ve chosen to buy that I haven’t. “Oh, but you don’t have a car or own a house! And I do. See, look!”

This is one of my favorite myths, because it is implicit, it’s often one of the most dangerous. Friends ask, “why do I need to travel when I am making so much money as a blahbittyblah?” I won’t try to twist your arm and try to convince you “need” to travel. It’s a personal choice, isn’t it? I chose it and continue to choose it. My life is made up of experiences, not things. That’s just me. You’re you. And, as Erasmus tells us in In Praise of Folly, “for the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.”

Expert Advice: Booking RTW Tickets

TLG: One of the questions we’re asked most frequently is, “Do you think I should book a round-the-world airline ticket for my journey, or just purchase tickets as I go?” While you might get a bit more flexibility when buying a string of one-ways, as a general rule, The Lost Girls do recommend booking an RTW ticket for more complicated, multi-country itineraries. Here's why:

1. Guaranteed flights: Realistically, most of us aren't going to change our itinerary too many times during a round-the-world trip. The Lost Girls think its better to lock in a really cheap fare before you go then trying book a last minute ticket--only to discover the prices have skyrocketed or the seats you want are sold out. When you book an RTW with a ticket consolidator or airline alliance, you can almost always change the date of your flights (just not the destination).

2. Customer Service: We cannot overstate how frustrating it is to deal with customer service agents at an overseas airline--especially when you don't speak the native language! Booking an RTW ticket with a US- or UK-based company guarantees that you'll deal directly with an English speaking representative; he or she can help you make changes to your flights, deal with problems that arise and act as an intermediary between you and your foreign carrier.

3. Savings: Backpackers love to believe they have the inside track on cheap flights, but unless you're a travel agent yourself, you probably don't have access to the unpublished fares and blocks of cheap seats that airline consolidators are privy to. They know about great budget airlines you've never heard of, and can recommend ways to save money that might not have occured to you.

When we did our around-the-world journey, our friend and fellow Lost Boy John Buckley recommended Airtreks--one of the oldest and most respected RTW travel agencies in the Americas. Since we were very impressed with the low cost of our ticket and the excellent service we received, we decided to ask Tom Michelson, Vice President of Operations for the company, to chat with us a bit about the whole RTW booking process. Here's what he had to say....

Q. Why should Lost Girls readers considering booking their RTW or multi-city journey with Airtreks?

A. Airtreks provides expert consultation to customize every trip to meet the traveler’s needs in terms of routing, pricing, airlines and stopovers Our travel consultants have traveled extensively themselves, so in addition to getting the best prices and routings, they can offer advice about where to go and when to go.

Q. How does Airtreks work to support the traveler before and during her trip?

A. Our online tool, TripPlanner, allows the traveler to price out a variety of options by adding and substituting cities so she can get an estimate of what her proposed trip would cost long before she’s ready to book and purchase.

During the trip, Airtreks provides customer service to help deal with the myriad issues that occur when traveling great distances and/or over long periods of time (e.g., schedule and routing changes by the airline, date and routing changes and by the passengers, missed flights, lost or stolen tickets, denied boarding, airline default, medical emergencies on the road and at home).

Our customers usually work with one travel consultant during the booking process. As these trips are fairly complex, this process takes 2-3 weeks. Once their tickets have been purchased, our travelers work with our customer service department. They are better suited to dealing with the kind of issues travelers encounter on the road.

Q. What's the most popular RTW ticket route? Why do you think this is?

A. There is no usual, standard, or typical route or price around the world. We customize each and every trip for our travelers. The only time that we see any kind of trip duplication is when a traveler is accompanying another traveler on a trip. We offer a number of sample trips on our website, so that travelers who want inspiration, can get some ideas for their trips.

Q. What’s are the best ways for Lost Girls to save money on their RTW tickets?

A. Here are a few methods for minimizing costs:

1. Keep the Seasons and Holidays in Mind: Generally speaking, traveling in the summer and at Christmas-time is more expensive. Many airfares have three seasons: low, shoulder and high. Low season is November-March (except from the beginning of Dec to the middle of January); Shoulder season is April/May and Sept/Oct and High season is June/July/August/December-mid January. Then there are additional high seasons for various parts of the world: Chinese New Years for Asia; Haj for the Middle East; Trekking season for Nepal; etc.

When traveling for a few months, it will be difficult to avoid the high season (and the high season may be the most desirable time to visit a destination). The best way to keep the costs down is to avoid the high season for your long haul flights (traveling trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic).

2. Decide if flying is really necessary: Traveling overland between two cities can save money on airfare, but it may not save you money when you consider the cost of the land transportation between the two points. The major reason to consider overland travel between two points is to see all that there is between those two points without having to return to your original starting point. Time permitting, it is usually better to take the train between Singapore and Bangkok, if you wish to see Malaysia and Southern Thailand, rather taking a flight between the two points.

3. Stick to the Beaten Track (at least, when it comes to your flights!): Flying between the major travel hubs near the equator will offer the most affordable airfares for travelers. Airfare prices are reflected in competition and not necessarily miles flown. Just as it is cheaper for someone within the US to fly from New York to Los Angeles than it is from Santa Fe to Vail, it is far cheaper to fly New York – London –Delhi – Bangkok – Hong Kong – New York than to fly New York – Helsinki – Johannesburg – Bali – Lhasa – New York.

Q. Which regions and countries are most expensive to add onto a RTW ticket route and why?

A. The most expensive places to add on to an RTW ticket are ones that are off the beaten path. Places like Easter Island or the Seychelles can be expensive additions to a trip, but if the traveler is already in that part of the world, then the additional cost of the flight may not be too significant. In addition, while it may add $700-$800 to the cost of an RTW trip to add a stop in a remote island; compare that cost with the thousands of dollars that a separate roundtrip to that remote island would cost if the traveler were to go to that island on a separate trip.

Q. We've noticed that RTW ticket prices seem to be cheaper when started from a major RTW hub like London, rather than the US. What's the reason for this?

A. The reason that some cities are cheaper to start and end your trip is the same for around-the-world tickets as it is for roundtrips—competition. People who live in London travel around the world more than US citizens and therefore their price may be cheaper. (With the current state of the dollar relative to the British pound, this is no longer necessarily true.)

The UK market also has restrictions that we do not. The tickets they sell MUST begin and end in London. Between the additional costs for the roundtrip to London and the additional stops the travel must endure, even when the dollar was strong, there would be little to gain by buying an RTW from/to London and a roundtrip flight to/from London.

Q. Are RTW tickets ever less expensive for students and those under 26 years of age? What discounts, if any, are your clients eligible for?

A. Some legs of a typical RTW ticket do allow student, youth and teacher discounts, so it is always advisable to inform your travel consultant of your status. Airtreks customers also receive a $100 discount coupon for their next Airtreks trip.

Q. Once the traveler has purchased her RTW ticket, can those individual flights be changed?

A. In general, the dates of most flights can be changed, either directly with the airlines or through Airtreks, at little or no charge (as long as flights operate and space is available). Usually, only date of the initial departure from the US (first flight) is fixed.

Unfortunately, almost no ticket for a reasonable price will let you choose your route as you go, or change it once your ticket is issued. Tickets can be issued with "open" dates (although we recommend strongly against buying such tickets) but not with "open" places. Re-routable tickets, where they exist, are rarely the cheapest. To put it another way, you pay a premium for flexibility.

Q. Will most customers have to travel with paper tickets, or are most of your clients ticketed electronically?

A. Both. We issue e-tickets whenever it is possible, but there are still some airlines, countries and combination of airlines that require paper tickets.

***
Thanks, Tom! For more information on RTW tickets or to use Airtrek’s TripPlanner to estimate the cost your next international journey, visit www.airtreks.com.

Adventures in Oz: Learning to Fly Solo

ADP: On the very last night of The Lost Girls RTW girlfriend’s-getaway-of-a-lifetime, I announced to my traveling companions that I didn’t really feel all that sad.

“We’re gonna be seeing each other in a couple months, right? It’s not like we’re saying goodbye forever…”

The girls looked up from packing their stuff one final time, and just looked at me blankly, most likely trying to process if I was kidding.

“What?” I said, responding to their stares. “We’re still friends. We’ll take other trips…I know it. This is just the beginning!”

“Amanda, it is sad,” Jen insisted. ‘We may travel again, but ending this trip is kind of like ending an era. Don’t you think?”

Holly didn’t say anything as she continued to cram her bag full of random last-minute souvenirs and the few traveling clothes she could stand to look at and wear again. Earlier, she’d told us that she wasn’t a big fan of goodbyes, and I knew these final moments were tough on her.

“Just wait,” Jen said in the understanding tone of a big sister who’s been there. “It’ll hit you when you least expect it.”

****

Our actual goodbye wasn’t a dramatic one—Jen and I took a shuttle to the airport while Holly stayed behind in Sydney to catch a flight the following day—and we separated with a trio of long hugs and no tears.

Both girls were anxious to get back to the States to see their families, start jobs (particularly Holly, who’d gone so far in the red she’d practically turned magenta) and rediscover what life was like as individuals rather than Lost Girls. In a fit of last-minute wanderlust, I’d decided that a year around the planet wasn’t quite enough and I’d arranged to spend the month of June (that’s winter in the land down under) exploring Australia’s East Coast.

My first stop: Melbourne to visit my friend Phil and his buddy Ross. I’d met both guys in Thailand at Christmas (during the crazy backpacker bacchanalia), and had kept up with Phil via email during the last six months of the trip.

Keen to prove to me that Melbourne (pronounced: Mell-Bin!) was a far city cooler than Sydney, Phil invited me to spend a few days in his neck of the woods, promising that if I created a dream itinerary, he’d do everything in his power to make it happen.

With an offer like that, how could I refuse?

With nearly three hours to spare before my flight (something that had never, ever happened during the course of the Lost Girls trip!), I practically pin-balled my way around Sydney’s Virgin Blue terminal, checking out clothing stores, souvenirs shops, newsstands and food courts. Finally, I could go to anywhere I wanted, eat anything I wanted, buy anything I wanted and even log onto the internet as much as I wanted---and I didn’t have to check in with anybody. Fabulous!

Perhaps I should have taken it as a bad sign that almost the second I arrived in Melbourne, the skies opened up and dumped rain in biblical proportions over me and the city at large.

“Carrie Bradshaw? Are you here?” Phil shouted through the other end of the cheap cell phone I’d purchased specifically for my solo run in Oz.

Like 95 percent of Brits and Aussies we’d met on the road, Phil associated my wild blond curls, journalism job and New Yorker status with that Sex and the City gal, and had all but forgotten my real first name.

As I waited on the steps of the Westin (the arbitrarily chosen hotel where the airport shuttle had dropped me off), I realized that I’d almost forgotten what Phil looked like. The first time I met him in Thailand, he’d reminded me of Evan Marriott, the dude who posed as Joe Millionaire on reality TV show. Over the phone, Phil had assured me that was actually an upstanding dude: when not slugging back Red Bull and Sang Som rum buckets in Thailand, was he was a taxpaying, suit-wearing, home-owing corporate accountant.

This had all sounded great to me back in Sydney, but as I stood there alone, trying to spot his car and his face in the pouring rain, I couldn’t help wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw!): what the hell was I doing?? Was I really going to be spending five days in an unknown place with a relative stranger?

I knew that other solo travelers did this all the time---linking up with cool people they’d met on their journey. But somehow, it just felt a little strange to start arranging entire days of sightseeing with someone I’d known a hundred hostels ago, particularly someone who’d ditched my real name in favor of a fictional TV character.

Okay, I won’t lie…I actually loved the comparison to Sarah Jessica Parker. But the feelings of apprehension remained, probably having more to do with the reality of flying solo finally sinking in than any real worries about Joe Millionaire’s (um, I mean Phil’s) intentions.

Just as I was digging out my cell phone again to track down my host, a car pulled up and Phil jumped out of the driver’s side.

“Carrie!”

Bounding up the steps, he swept me up into a huge bear hug, a sign of affection I hadn’t experienced in what felt like ages. Call it traveler’s instinct or just woman’s intuition, but in that moment, I knew everything would probably be okay with Thailand Phil.

“You ready to go?” he asked, grabbing the handle of my pack and making a move towards the car.

“Yup,” I called back. Glancing at the sweet, earnest face of my Melbourne host and stand-in Lost Girl, I decided that I really was.

****

Despite my last minute hesitation, the next five days rocked.

True to his word, Phil not only arranged for us to do all of the local sightseeing and events that I’d requested (an AFL game, a day trip to Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs and shopping at the St. Kilda market), he took me out almost every night for dinners and drinks with his group of friends. He even brought me by his parents’ placer so I could meet them to meet them. Sitting in their living room, chatting out how I met Phil, I actually remembered what it felt like to be someone’s girlfriend. Sigh.

I also felt completely in my element in Melbourne, a place that many international travelers say reminds them of New York City. I didn’t necessarily agree with that assessment (the overcast skies, clanging streetcars and indie music scene actually recalled a west coast city like San Fran or Seattle), but I found that I loved it all the same.

My favorite hangout spot was Chapel Street in St Kilda, where I watched band guys with cool jackets and weird hair salivating over $3000 guitars, pierced and tattooed couples pulling together looks from boutique sale racks and caffeine addicts slugging back mud at cafes lining the main drag. It didn’t take long to learn that in Melbourne, “Starbucks” is considered the most offensive kind of swear word.

Although it rained off and on almost the entire week, Phil and I were lucky enough to score perfect, crispy autumn weather on the day of the AFL game (or as it’s most commonly known to Australians, “The footy!”). True player that he his, Phil managed to score us spectacular seats pretty close to the field/oval, and didn’t complain once when I asked him 1,001 stupid questions (but why do they have to bounce the ball on the ground if this is a football game?) for the next three hours.



Of course, he may have been offering to buy me beer and meat pies (the seemingly random but much beloved local delicacy) just to shut me up!

I’d been worried about spending so much time with Phil and his friends in Melbourne (I’d actually planned an escape route, just in case), but the five days were fantastic and they rushed by at warp speed. On the last afternoon, we said goodbye and he made promises to look me up once finally booked a trip over to the States. It was a sweet thing to say, but I’d gotten to know Phil pretty well by then, and knew it would probably never happen. He was an Australian boy at heart, and Thailand might be as far away from home as he’d ever go.

As I sat in the airplane that final afternoon, yet another rain shower obscuring my view through the glass, I realized that when the flight touched down in Cairns, I’d truly be on my own again: no Lost Girls, no Thailand friends, no familiar faces to look forward to.

As it turned out, Jen, in all of her sisterly wisdom, had been right.

The ending of the Lost Girl trip was a really, really sad thing—and it had hit me when I least expected it.

Lost Girl of the Week: Alexis Thomas

TLG: When the Tsunami devestated the Pacific Rim on December 26th, 2004, it seemed as if the entire planet turned out to donate their money, or their time, to help. In all, the worldwide community gave more than $7 billion (2004 US dollars) in humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake. This kind of comprehensive global response was clearly incredible, but as with any disaster (even one with a death toll total of over 200,000 people), the cash flow and volunteer efforts waned in the months that followed. By 2005, most Americans were focused on the nautral disasters that rocked our own coastline, most notably, Hurricane Katrina.



People who volunteer in the wake of such catastrophies should certainly be commended, but those who lend a hand long after the media furor fades can truly be considered heroes. Alexis Thomas, our Lost Girl of the Week, did just that, returning to the earthquake and tsunami rocked Banda Aceh to work with the International Rescue Committee. We love her adventurous spirit, her story as a "blang" in Indonesia and her positive take on travel. Here's Alexis's story:

When I found out I had been chosen as an intern for the International Rescue Committee to work with tsunami refugees in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, my stomach did a happy summersault followed closely by a huge back flip. The selection process had been pretty competitive through my graduate program, and only three spots were awarded – and they had chosen me!

But a few seconds after my inner voice shouting “YES! YES! YES!” had died down, the reality of the news hit me. I had a pretty decent job as an entertainment publicist, which I liked…most days. I worked with television channels, independent filmmakers and documentary directors -- with a celebrity thrown in every now and again to keep things interesting (or endlessly demanding, whichever the case may be).

And if nothing else, it was a steady paycheck into the good old bank account every two weeks. Quitting a decent job mid-career that you are actually getting paid to do to take a non-paid summer internship in a country most people associate with the words “devastating tsunami,” “catastrophic earthquake,” “fiery plane crash” and “nightmare ferry disaster” isn’t something that helps a girl sleep at night. Or her boyfriend!

I was traveling in Southeast Asia about three years ago when I volunteered for a bit at an NGO in Cambodia that provided education to street kids as well as children who worked on a trash dump outside of Phnom Penh. When I got back to my home in New York City, I decided to get my master’s degree to figure out what the whole humanitarian thing was all about. After two years of working full-time during the day and then rushing off to classes at night, I took a chance and applied for the internship -- and here it was. Of course, I decided to go for it.

And I’m so glad I did. I’m a backpacker and romantic at heart and have always been in love with throwing everything in a bag, hitting the road and letting things happen as they may. As much as I’m drawn to the spontaneity of these trips, this one is a little bit different in that I’m visiting, but I’m not just passing through. Living in Banda Aceh has been really interesting, and working here has added another layer to the experience.

Arriving at a new place, staying a while, getting to know the people and trying to help has been a different way for me to travel. Banda Aceh is definitely a study in contrasts and it has been interesting to be able to land, gather first impressions, and then go back and reflect on these first impressions and make second -- and even third -- impressions. It feels like such a luxury. So often things aren’t what they appear to be, but we are moving so fast that we don’t take the time to learn how things are different than what we have perceived.

One of the most challenging things about visiting here was the lack of information about the area. Until recently, the “bible” – the Lonely Planet – didn’t even cover the region because it was unsafe to travel here due to the 30-year civil war which preceded the tsunami. When I googled Banda Aceh, reports of the tsunami appeared but little else. I really didn’t know what to expect or how to pack and was pretty much at a loss when trying to reassure my friends and family that this was a great idea and I was definitely going to be safe. Inspired by the Lost Girls, I decided to create an extensive blog about my trip and my time here so others planning to visit have a little bit more information.

Ninety-nine percent of people who live in Banda Aceh are Muslim and the two are interlinked – to be Acehnese is to be Muslim, and vice versa. As part of the peace process after the tsunami, Sharia Law is strictly enforced here. Again, before I arrived, I didn’t even really know what that meant. To explain it doesn’t even really do it justice – religion, and Sharia Law, are all encompassing in the province of Aceh. For example, there are the regular police as well as the religious (Sharia) police and they work hand in hand. Contact between men and women who aren’t married is strictly regulated – in fact, two people of the opposite sex can’t ride on the same motorbike together! The police can, and do, pull people over and demand to see a couple’s marriage certificate and couples carry theirs around just for this purpose. Coming from New York City where anything and everything goes, it definitely took me some time to wrap my head around this.

I’ve also never been to a place less geared towards the travel industry than Banda Aceh. After the tsunami hit, NGOs and relief agencies quickly descended upon the area to bring aid. I think that it was the largest outpouring of funds ever for a natural disaster. With these agencies came westerners – they have a slang word here for us, which is “blang” (pronounce boo-lay). If I see another “blang” on the street or in the market, it is pretty much a given that they are a fellow NGO worker because tourists just don’t come here. Alcohol is forbidden, all women must dress modestly (no tank tops) and this extends to the beach, where t-shirts and surf shorts are a must, even in the water. All visitors to the providence must register with the police.

Although I’ve traveled fairly extensively, I’ve never been so completely and utterly different. I could live here for the rest of my life and still be considered an outsider. Under Sharia Law, women are required to wear jilbabs (veils) covering their hair and neck. As curious as it has been for me to adapt to this – seeing women wearing head-coverings in extreme heat and doing it so gracefully – you can only imagine the stares that I receive in turn because I am one of a very small minority of women who don’t wear a veil. Today, I was out in the field and spent eight hours driving back home to Banda Aceh. We drove through numerous small villages along the way and I consistently drew stares and shouts of “Hey, Mister!” in every town. Inexplicably, Acehnese get “Mr.” and “Mrs.” transposed, which still makes me laugh every time it happens.

As cliché as it sounds, the work I have been doing here has been completely rewarding. I have been focusing on the educational system here as it struggles to bounce back from the disaster as well as the civil war. During the civil war, government employees (including teachers) were threatened on their way to work and 600 schools were burned to the ground. Teachers would hide their teacher’s uniforms in their bags for their morning commute because it was dangerous to be spotted as a civil servant.

To make matters worse, the tsunami destroyed many of the remaining schools and killed many teachers as well as students. Women and children were disproportionately killed by the tsunami, because they were at home when it struck. I guess if you weren’t in your home when the wave came, you had a better chance of survival. My work here has been centered on a program that revitalizes the teacher training process to help teachers be better at their job, and in turn positively affect the lives of children here.

As a Loyal “Lost Girls” reader, I am so honored to be a “Lost Girl of the Week.” I often hear, “I wish I could do what you’re doing!” and I’m here to say – if I can do it, anyone can. NGO’s and other non-profits are always looking for volunteers and it is a rich and unforgettable experience. I’m excited that there are more resources out there now -- like this blog – to help give people the extra little push they need. Now throw that toothbrush in your bag and get going!

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To read more, check out Alexis' blog at: www.lexthomas.typepad.com

Escape Together: Guide to Girlfriend's Getaways

TLG: When Thenera Bailey, co-founder of the travel website Escape Together wrote to ask if we'd be interested doing a podcast about our adventure, we agreed almost immediately. If there's one thing The Lost Girls like to do almost as much as traveling (and discovering fun new desserts everywhere we go), its dishing advice on how to take a trip like ours. We had a great time doing the half-hour program, and it just went "live" today. Visit the "episode 3" at Escape Together to hear our fabulous "radio" voices and learn about every aspect of our RTW trip in excruciating detail.

The ladies of Escape Together also released their fabulous new "Guide to Planning the Ultimate Girls Getaway," a comprehensive playbook offering tips for planning the ideal getaway, developing a trip budget, researching online, choosing a destination, what to do when things go wrong and our favorite: choosing your traveling companions.

The guide costs $12.97, but you can get a 50 percent discount just by mentioning your favorite chick bloggers.

Um, that would be us.

By the way, if you have any great tips for planning a all-girls trip, feel free to swing 'em our way! We'll post your advice on Lost Girls World, along with your photo.

DFW Gets Proactiv(e)

ADP: I was just about to miss my connecting flight at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport (en route home to see my family), but I just *had* to stop an snap a picture of this....a tractor-trailer sized vending machine that sold nothing but Proactiv Solution products. For those of you who don't regularly watch infomercials at 3:00am, as I do, Proactiv is the company that sells all the all of the cleansers and creams responsible for transforming Jessica Simpson's skin from pizza-face to fabulous in a few short months (or so she says), and the one that gave Lindsay Lohan just the confidence she needed to continue partying herself into drug-induced stupor and yet another DUI arrest last month. Pretty powerful stuff, no?

Anyway, I was baffled as to why Proactiv would place a very expensive machine in the terminal of the Dallas Airport, but my very wise sister (who's a marketing genius, really) suggested that its the perfect place to sell face wash and anti-wrinkle cream. After those ritzy Dallas ladies get the expensive toiletries revoked at security, they probably wouldn't think twice about dropping $60-100 to replace them.

Hope this is just the start of more beauty-related vending machines. I'd love to be able to replace my L'oreal mascara and Frizz-Ease hair mousse just as easily as I can grab a Diet Coke.

Feeling Lost? Tell Us About It...

As you have may have read in our "Taking the Long Way Around" post, we've wrapped up our yearlong journey and are now in various stages of returning home (Amanda's off solo-traveling Australia, Jen's doing the friends n' family tour and Hol went straight back to NYC).

But while our trip may have come to a close, we know that some of yours are just starting. We'd love to share your thoughts, rants, ideas and insights right here on Lost Girls World, and post a gorgeous photo of you somewhere on the road (or at home, at your desk or shopping for toilet paper at Walmart, it matters not). Our goal: to expand LG World from a blog just about us, to a full-service website that would-be travelers can use to plan their journeys. We ended up making about a zillion mistakes in the months that we planned the trip, and the year we spent executing it, and we're hoping to save our fellow travelers the time, hassle and $$ with a little online enlightenment!

So, where does your writing come in? Well, in addition to the Lost Girl and Lost Boy of the Week entries (for those you can nominate a friend, or yourself), we're hoping to including the following new sections, all of which are open to your submissions:

Dispatches from the Road: These travel tales told from your first person perspective can encompass your feelings of culture shock, an interesting experience with a local or fellow traveler, scary or potentially dangerous situations you got into (and out of) or just a quiet reflection of your travels thus far.

Five Reasons and Five-Ways: This section is a great opportunity to share what you've learned about a particular travel topic. You don't have to actually offer just five bullet points on each subject (go crazy with eight! Ten!), but you'll want to organize your advice in a numerical fashion. Examples might include "Five Ways to Ditch Your Traveling Companions," or "Eight Ways to Sleep for Free (or Really Damn Cheap) in Southeast Asia."

How-Tos: Pretty straightforward, just another format for offering advice, such as "How to Save $$ on your Travel Shots," or "How to Buy a Bargain Basement RTW Tickets." You can share your own experiences, but feel free to "interview" other travelers on how they saved cash.

Just for Lost Girls: While we have a ton of boy readers (hey guys!), this site is ultimately geared toward the Lost female. These articles offer insight into certain, um, delicate topics such as "Dating on the Road," "Can I Find Tampons Abroad?", "Getting Rid of Chub-Rub After a Few Too Many Beer Laos" and other useful girlie topics. A lighthearted tone is always appreciated!

Photo Essays: Got a gift for telling a story in pictures? Send us your best shots with a few accompanying captions.

Lost in: Insert City/Country Here: You've got a choice here---you can either send narrative of your experiences in a particular place, or a bulleted list of the 8, 12, or 20 things you've loved/hated about a particular spot.

To submit an entry or make a suggestion, just drop us a line at: lostgirlsworld@gmail.com. All pieces should be at least 250 words, but no more than 700. Of course, we'll credit you for the awesome submission, provide a dedicated link back to your blog (if you have one) and list you as a contributor on the sidebar. As Lost Girls World grows, and should we one day make some $$, we'll start paying for articles. Until then, we hope you'll be satisfied with our undying love and affection!!