http://www.forum.housecarers.com/index.cfm?forumid=6 FuseTalk Basic Edition http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=650 2009-10-25T14:35:23 -05.00 hwaiii50 2 Opps I should have put this in a different catagory.... ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=646 2009-10-21T22:10:06 -05.00 IanLWhite 1
But just because you are monitoring your expenses while on vacation does not necessarily mean you should deprive yourself of the sumptuous meals and delectable dishes offered by local restaurants. You only have to exercise some control and take care not to order more food than you can afford. One way of doing this is to take advantage of the free breakfast most hotels and resorts offer. When you start your day with a healthy and heavy breakfast, you will be less tempted to buy snacks before lunchtime. In addition, you will also have more than enough energy for exploring the local scene during the day.

If you want to splurge a bit on food in an expensive restaurant, do it during lunchtime. Most restaurants, including the expensive ones, usually offer lower prices on their food for lunch than for dinner. You will probably get the same menu and the same food choices as you would if you went for there for dinner, but you won't have to pay as much money.

You can also save on food by eating where the locals eat. Before you even leave for your vacation, get restaurant recommendations from friends and relatives who live in the area. Since they are locals, they know where all the good food is served at reasonable prices.

While you are on the road or busy seeing the sights, you are going to get hungry in between mealtimes. There will probably be a lot of restaurants or shops around where you can buy snacks and drinks but these will be quite expensive, especially if you are visiting a popular tourist destination. To avoid such unnecessary expenses on food, bring your own snacks and drinks. Small things like granola bars and trail mixes that easily fit in your backpack will be enough to tide you over until your next meal.

Once you reach your destination city, find a local grocery store and pick up some food items you will need such as bottled water and a variety of inexpensive foods. Store these in your hotel room so when you get hungry or thirsty, you won't need to order expensive items from the hotel or nearby restaurants.

There are many others ways you can enjoy food while you travel and no, you don't even have to spend extravagantly. You can enjoy a picnic in the woods or bring your own

Copyright © 2009, Ian White housesitting.com



Anymore suggestions? ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=459 2008-11-03T18:45:36 -05.00 IanLWhite 7 With these tips anyone can pack for a two-week vacation without checking any luggage. One carry-on bag, and one purse, will hold everything you need.

* First, contact your airline for the bag dimension limits for carry-on bags. The permitted size may be larger than you think.

* To begin packing, a good rule of thumb to remember is that 75% of clothing should be neutral colors; black, white, and khaki, with the remainder in brighter colors that match the neutral tones.

* Choose three pair of pants; one black, one beige, and one pair of jeans. Bring five shirts - three casual and two dressy. One black skirt or basic black dress for women: one tie and sport jacket for men.

* Depending on the climate at your destination, choose a suitable dressy sweater and jacket. You need just two pair of shoes, one for comfort and one for dress, and a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for downtime in your hotel room. Forget the pajamas - sleep in underwear or the sweatpants and t-shirt. This combination will allow you fifteen different outfits, more than enough for two weeks.

* Ladies, bring one large, lightweight purse. Inside the large bag carry a small purse for going to dinner. Put your jewelry, toiletries and all paperwork in your purse.

* Choose the heaviest items to wear on the plane: jeans, shirt, sweater, and jacket.

* Buy toiletry containers small enough to meet the limits for air travel, typically 3 ounces. In the months preceding your trip, take advantage of give-away promotions at cosmetic counters in department stores. These trial sizes are perfect for travel.

* Before you leave for your trip, buy small packets of laundry detergent and a plastic laundry line. Every three days, wash dirty clothes in the hotel sink at night and by morning they will be ready to wear. Also, many hotels have overnight laundry service, though they can be pricey this is a good option for the dressier clothes.

Simplify your vacation by taking just one bag. With some careful planning, everything you need for your vacation will stay with you on your carry-on bag.

Copyright © 2008, Ian White Housecarers.com ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=454 2008-10-30T17:15:10 -05.00 IanLWhite 1 Unusual Holidays: Archaeologist For A Fortnight


If you like exotic locations, are interested in history and antiquity and prefer holidays with some activities built-in, spending time as a team member on an archaeological dig could be just the thing for you. All over the world there are opportunities for non-professionals to participate in archaeological projects, often in areas that ordinary members of the public are not allowed to access.


Archaeology is not quite what you see in the Indiana Jones movies but it can be as exciting in other ways. Archaeologists running digs and allied projects regularly seek volunteers to join them in a range of activities. It's unlikely that you'll be housed in luxury accommodation but you can go to extraordinary places and enjoy the camaraderie and stimulation of being part of a scientific team.


If this appeals to you, there are various ways to go about selecting your ideal archaeo-holiday. If you have an existing interest in archaeology, you might want to look for digs in your field of interest, whether that is ancient civilisations, Roman towns, mediaeval monasteries or human origins. Alternatively you could choose by place - continent, climate and environment - and acquaint yourself with an area of the rich and wonder-filled human past that you may know little or nothing about.


The organisation Earthwatch is a good place to start if you like the idea of a holiday as an amateur archaeologist (or participation in other kinds of scientific research program). Your local museum or university archaeology department may have opportunities close to home or further afield. If you know roughly where you want to go or what type of archaeology grabs you, you could contact specialists in those areas.


Volunteers on archaeological projects should prepare themselves for some degree of physical labour, though there are usually roles for people of all ages and fitness levels. Digs are labour-intensive and you could spend your time carrying buckets of soil, sieving them and sorting and labelling bits of broken bone, stone, pottery and other finds into categories. Professional archaeologists don't find spectacular objects every day and often the exciting bits have high information value but little of the glamour of treasure.


With fragile and sensitive sites, you may not be able to do any digging yourself. You might be called upon instead to help with mapping, drawing, surveying or other tasks. You will however undoubtedly learn a lot, make friends and feel the excitement of handling materials used by our ancestors centuries, millennia or even millions of years ago.

Copyright © 2007, Ian White housecarers.com ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=439 2008-09-17T19:05:16 -05.00 IanLWhite 6
Have you ever envied people who pay bottom dollar for great vacations? What you really envy is the time they have invested in using free resources on the Internet to find the best deals that stretch their dollars more than the average consumer believes possible.

Some people are their own personal travel experts. One way to take a dream vacation is to book your trip in stages. For example, if you want to take a week-long trip for the holidays, start in August and September researching airfare sales. If you are flexible with your dates and destinations, you can open up a broad search. When you see a fare that is too good to pass up (like $129 round-trip from south Florida to Washington, D.C., over winter break), you can seriously think about booking the flight.

As you get a little closer to the vacation, you can invest another sum in the prepayment of your hotel reservation. If you can't afford a week of accommodations all at once, you can try a strategy like booking 3 days at one hotel and then later paying for 4 days at a different lodging. One hint is to look for brand-new hotels that are just opening. They will offer introductory rates even during the holidays.

After you have booked airfare and lodging, you can add other arrangements like the rental car, commuter train tickets, and admission tickets for entertainment venues. Another idea is to buy gas cards and prepaid debit cards to save for travel incidentals. In this piecemeal fashion, you build your vacation into a total package. At each stage, you save a lot of money through prepayment. The only disadvantage is the possible loss of money if you have to reschedule your vacation due to unforeseen circumstances.

By taking incremental steps in financing your vacation, you can take advantage of weekly specials in travel and enjoy the economic advantage of booking in advance. The time that you spend researching prices on the Internet is usually rewarded by saving hundreds of dollars on your vacation.

This method works in a way that paying for a vacation all up front never does because many people do not have $800 to $2,000 to pay at once for flight and airfare packages offered by travel web sites like Expedia and Priceline. The information found at these highly successful sites comprises your market research.

If you watch the sales, you can plan a trip to a wonderful vacation destination. Because you are taking steps well in advance, you will save more than you would if you waited until you saved the total right before your travel dates. Use tools like the Priceline "Name Your Own Price" option to save even more.

The same travel research you performed while fare watching will help you to successfully bid on tickets and accommodations when cash is at your fingertips. Explore the affordability of travel through creative booking and financing schemes that fit your budget. You just have to think outside the box of traditional travel in order to take a terrific trip for the holidays.

© 2008 Ian White, Access 2000 Pty Ltd ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=298 2008-03-07T04:56:01 -05.00 allykatblue 1
Io michiamo Ally
I am learning Italia. I would like to parolo Italiano per fa vore with other learners. Englese allowed. I would scibo more parola Italiana but I am only just starting out. Some is better than nata!

Ciao ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=231 2008-01-13T21:55:52 -05.00 IanLWhite 4 By Carol Bengle Gilbert (Posted by permission from author)

United States citizens hankering to travel abroad will be disappointed in the Lonely Planet's top pick for hot travel destinations for 2008: home. That's right, the United States of America is the #1 hot travel destination selected by Lonely Planet. The attributes of the United States that make it the #1 hot travel destination for 2008 are its national parks and Hawaii.

There are 391 national parks in the United States, offering travelers diverse selections in a variety of regions. With more than 272 million visitors per year, the U.S. national park system hardly needs attention drawn to it. Many national park names are household words- Yosemite, Yellowstone, Ellis Island, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton- and the most common are associated with the Western United States, yet there are actually national parks in every one of the 50 states.

Hawaii offers white sand beaches, volcanoes and some decidedly unusual tourists lures: the Elvis Aloha statue, a "leper colony" tour that includes a mule ride down a steep cliff (anyone see the irony here?), and a "cursed tourists" display at Kilauea where the volvano goddess Madame Pele is said to curse anyone swiping her lava.

United States travelers craving a popular destination yet unwilling to consider staying in their home country a bona fide vacation don't need to rely on Lonely Planet to determine the #1 hot travel destination of the year, however. Several other organizations create similar lists.

So what are the other #1 hot travel destinations in 2008?

The US Tour Operators Association bestows the honor on Italy, with Croatia and China in pursuit.

Liverpool, England was named a European Capital of Culture for 2008, an honor shared with Stavanger, Norway. Everyone who remembers the Beatles knows something about Liverpool. This former blue collar town has been spruced up in past years in preparation for its assuming the European Capital of Culture title. Stavanger, Norway, the country's 4th largest city, is a delightful conglomeration of cobblestoned streets, picturesque wooden dwellings, sea trade and international culture. Stavenger teases scenery-seeking visitors with moutains, waterfalls, islands, plains and fjords.

The New York Times picked Laos as its #1 hot travel destination for 2008. Still relatively undeveloped, this southeast Asian country is notorious for being the most bombed country in history. But despite its pitfalls, it has allure. The Plain of Jars is an enigmatic archeological site with humongous 2,000 year old jars scattered about the countryside. Limestone caves adorned with Budda carvings, lush jungles, bustling markets and the largest waterfall in southeast Asia are among the other attractions that warrant Laos' designation as the #1 hot travel destination for 2008.

South America gets recognition from Rolf Potts' Vagabonding. Top picks for hot travel destinations for 2008 were not rank ordered but Buenos Aires, Argentina and Quito, Equador both made the 4 destination list.

By now, it should be apparent that there really is no single #1 hot travel destination for 2008. The world is rife with delightful destinations any one of which, depending on a traveler's tastes and temperament, may become his personal #1 hot travel destination for 2008. ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=223 2008-01-08T17:12:01 -05.00 IanLWhite 4
Your family physician or the local health clinic can usually provide travelers with the information they need. In particular, three different types of vaccinations are involved.

The first set of vaccinations is the set of routine ones. Routine vaccinations are determined by the age and health of the individuals. This type of vaccination must be up-to-date in order for the individual to be allowed to travel. In most cases, this means that the individuals must have received their booster shots if required. Examples of this type of vaccination are hepatitis B and A, diphtheria, polio, and tetanus.

In general, routine vaccinations have a predetermined number of years in between shots. Other vaccinations to consider getting include Influenza, Meningococcal meningitis, Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, and Varicella. In fact, it is best to check with your physician for the names of the vaccinations that your family should get since some new ones have been added to the required list for children.

The second set of suggested vaccinations is the set of recommended ones. These vaccinations are those that would protect an individual if he were to go to a specific destination. In other words, the recommended vaccinations protect travelers against specific diseases. These diseases are ones that the travelers would be more likely to get at the specific destination to which they are traveling.

The third set of vaccinations is the set of required vaccinations. These are the ones that are dictated by international health guidelines. At the present time, a vaccination for yellow fever is the only one that is required and it is only required for individuals who are traveling to South America or sub-Sahara Africa.

It's important that you allow yourself enough time to get all of the necessary vaccinations. Therefore, you should begin at least four to six months prior to your departure time. Inform your physician of the exact locations where you will be going so that he knows which vaccinations to recommend.

©2008 Ian White Access 2000 Pty Ltd ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=186 2007-12-30T09:57:10 -05.00 bevycr 14
In the case of Brazil we found that we were able to extend our 90 day visa for a further 90 days by visiting the Federal police and payment of a further fee. In Argentina we also have a 90 day visa however, taking a fast ferry to Uruguay for a day or payment of a nominal sum will renew your visa every 90 days on an ongoing basis.

On that note, we are inquiring about Australia and New Zealand - we would like to apply for longer term house sits or two or three house sits back to back totalling more than 90 days ...

Has anyone done this and what are our options?

Cheers, Henry & Beverly ]]> http://www.forum.housecarers.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=169 2007-12-29T10:43:56 -05.00 ronnie6267 2 I (we) had the greatest pleasure in 2007 to visit Australia, New Zealand, Oregon, Washington and my beloved California.
Now I am considering relocating back to California or Arizona and seek a position where I can assist a homewoner while I research the area.
Will take long term assignments and Hawaii sounds great to me right now being in the Toronto, Canada area until Jan/Feb. Burrrrrrr!!!!!
Happy New Year Traveling to all...
R&R ]]>