eCurrency app Price: $0.99

Want to make sure you’re not getting ripped off? eCurrency provides up to date exchange rate information on over 190 currencies, with rates provided by the European Central Bank and other sources.

Next flight app Price: $2.99

I always get really nervous and paranoid before flying anywhere. Not because I think I’m going to die, more because I think I’m going to miss my plane. With the Next Flight application, if ever you do a miss a flight, or like to compulsively check flight schedules like I do can see the next available flight to catch. Just enter your origin, destination and departure date. You’ll get a list of all the available flights for the selected day from all airline carriers, plus terminal and gate info.

Lonely Planet Phrasebook app Price: $5.99

The Lonely Planet is just about every traveler’s bible, with maps, locations listings, reviews, and the most common phrases to help you get along in your globetrotting adventures. The Lonely Planet offers an Audio Phrasebook app (compatible with iPhone/iPod Touch) for $5.99 available in over 10 languages. Each guide contains approximately 600 common phrases. The app is currently available for English speakers with phrase translations in Mandarin, Cantonese, Czech, Thai, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Vietnamese. A great feature is that you can tap on the phrase and hear how it’s pronounced.

Wi-Fi Finder app Price: Free

Finding Wi-Fi is key, especially if you’re Skyping and trying to save travel coin. Wi-Fi Finder tracks over 200,000 locations in 135 countries.

Foodspotting app Price: Free

Half the pleasure in traveling is the eating. The foodspotting app is like window shopping for food but instead of reading and writing reviews of restaurants, you can share photos of specific foods you recommend and see what’s good wherever you go. You even earn recognition and real world rewards for completing certain guides. A la Twitter you can follow trusted users and see their profiles and recommendations.

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Women spend a small fortune on fashion jewellery and perfumes, trying to draw men in with their alluring scents, which not only masks the natural pheremones that do the real attracting, but which pale in comparison to the power of food.  According to Alan R. Hirsch, MD, the neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, cheese pizza, buttered popcorn, pumpkin pie, and cinnamon buns all increase penile blood flow more that any perfume.  While the stomach is the path to many men’s hearts, the nose is the path into many men’s pants.

The opposite holds true for women, as the smell of men’s cologne actually decreases the flow of blood to the vagina.  Hirsch discovered that the smell of Good and Plenty, a licorice-flavored candy mixed with cucumber was the most potent combination in terms of increasing vaginal blood flow.  The following are a just a tiny fraction of foods from around the world that get the ole sex juices flowing, whether because of their scent, their shape, their taste, or their chemistry.

Asparagus (Native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia)

This green vegetable does more that make your pee smell funky.  It has an erotic shape, as well as potassium, calcium, fibre, phosphorus and vitamin E, B6, A, C , thiamine and folic acid. The latter is said to help boost orgasm abilities, while the rest boosts energy levels.

Chocolate (South American rain forests)

I don’t know much about chocolate, except for the fact that the movie Chocolate made me want to have sex with someone.  Apparently pure chocolate contains PEA (phenylethylamine) which releases dopamine in the brain’s pleasure centres while peaking during orgasm.  It also contains anandamide which is a feel-good chemical at the psychoactive level.

Aniseed (Native to the Mediterranean)

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that sucking on aniseeds could increase your sexual desire and your libido.  Remember Hirsh’s study about scent?  Well the aniseed has an odour and tastes like licorice, which increases female bloodflow in the crothular regions.

Avocado (Native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America)

When the Spanish returned to Europe from South America and reported just how sexy avocados were, Catholic priests labelled them as forbidden foods.  Based on their shape, the Aztecs called avocado trees “testicle trees.”  There’s a Catholic priest joke in there somewhere, I’ll let you put it together.  Avocados contain antioxidant glutathione, fibre, potassium and vitamin B6.  I’ll be in the bathroom if anyone needs me.

Bananas  (Native to Southeast Asia)

It was no accident that the snake who tricked Eve into biting the forbidden fruit was hiding in a banana tree.  It may as well have been hiding in a penis tree.  Eve never stood a chance.  Arguably the most phallic of the foods, bananas are also rich in potassium and B vitamins, which are both used in the production of sex hormones.

Post from: Globetrottier

Aphrodisiac Foods From Around the World

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Perhaps our “Western” cousins in Australia have something we would have an easier time swallowing (pun intended). As a country that loves barbecue just as much (if not more) than America, it’s no surprise they take to the grill familiar specialities like shrimp, burgers, and sausages. Due to its local geography, however, you’re bound to see more kangaroo burgers, ostrich burgers, and even crocodile fillets than you would Stateside!

For the more adventurous, perhaps the barbecue festivities in Thailand are more in order. In this country, people sit around a wood-burning pot made of clay, grilling various bits of pork, beef, chicken, and even seafood on a circular dish similar in shape to a flattened bundt cake pan without the hole on top. A thick piece of fat is placed on the tip of the pan to allow the juices to drizzle down onto the meat grilling below. The base of the pan is filled with soup stock, allowing vegetables and other meats to be cooked in the tasty broth. The people often cook and eat concurrently so as not to let the food get cold as they continue to cook subsequent batches. These mini buffets almost always contain a substantially larger variety of grillables than their American counterparts, as Americans typically don’t always grill hearts, gizzards, livers, intestines, squid, crab, octopus, clams, and even live shrimp all in one go.

Interestingly enough, one doesn’t have to attend a buffet or house party to eat Thai barbecue. One of the more familiar sights in Thai villages and urban cities alike is the street vendor with a wood-burning grill on a wheeled-cart. These vendors sell barbecue on a stick of just about anything that can be eaten on an animal–flesh meats, intestines, and even chicken feet! Some of the more familiar “kebab” style varieties come with bits of meat and brutally-hot Thai peppers stuck between the chunks of meat. Americans might be surprised at first to see these vendors can even barbecue rice! A special version of variety known as “khao niaw”, or “sticky rice”, is flattened into a squarish shape with placed onto the same type of kebab sticks as the meat is. After being cooked, it looks as though one is eating a rice-colored Popsicle! These delicacies are cooked to order and rarely come marinated. For some reason though, the salt and butter spread the vendors brush onto their creations somehow rival flavors only found in world-class restaurants.

Such a primitive cooking style is a welcomed change of pace from the modern, high-tech gas grills we use back home. Sitting on the floor to enjoy it, however, may not be!

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Barbecue Traditions Around the World

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Note: This scene should have come with a warning:  Hobbits are highly trained in the art of mushroom hunting; this should not be tried at home.  Wild mushrooms are often toxic and can cause projectile vomiting or worse.

Whenever I travel, one of the first questions I ask wherever I go is “Where’s a good place to eat?”  Once I’ve made myself comfortable in one of the local restaurants, my eyes scan the menu, looking for one word:  mushroom.  Of course, depending on the country, they wouldn’t use the English word for mushroom, so I’d have to get some translating done.  But like Hobbits I too love mushrooms of all kinds and in my journeys I have discovered some tasty varieties.

Truffles

Ahh my favourite of the fungal family!  If you happen to be in the northern regions of Italy, the Perigord region in France, or even on the Istria peninsula in Croatia, and you happen to have a dog or a female pig with you, you can go searching for wild white truffles.  The truffles grow underground at the base of hazel, poplar, beech and oak trees, which is why you’ll need the animals to sniff them out.  Truffles are rare, expensive, and have a very distinct aroma and taste.  If you happen to get your hands on some, simply shave thin slices off them and add them to pastas, omelettes, soups, or sauces, making sure to add them at the end as to not overcook them.  Truffle oil is commonly used to flavour dishes, although more and more truffle oil these days contains no actual truffles.  Scandalous!

King Oyster

Also called king trumpet mushrooms, the king oyster comes from the Mediterranean areas of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and it is also grown is various regions throughout Asia.  A very meaty and versatile mushroom, which can be used in a panoply of recipes, the king oyster can be broiled, stir fried, and stewed, adding plenty of great flavour to chowders, soups and sauces, or served whole as an accompaniment to meats and seafood.

Shiitake

Shiitake mushrooms have been growing in China and Japan for thousands of years.  Extremely robust in flavour, you only need small amounts to alter a meal deliciously.  The stems are tough, so you can remove those and use them to flavour soups or to create stock.  The caps should be wiped with a moist paper towel, and can be steamed, sautéed, grilled and baked.

Portobello

The Portobello mushroom is basically a large brown version of your common mushroom, or crimini mushroom.  Once the diameter of a little brown crimini hits the 4”-6” it gets the name “Portobello.”  What’s fantastic about these mushrooms is that they are large enough to toss on the barbecue without falling through the cracks.  Simply brush them with olive oil, place on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and voila!

Porcini

Easily one of the most versatile and delicious mushrooms, fresh porcini occurs naturally in Europe, Asia, North America, and although it does not occur in the southern hemisphere, it has been introduced to New Zealand and Southern Africa.  Italian chef Antonio Carluccio hails the porcini as being “the most rewarding of all fungi in the kitchen for its taste and versatility.”  It has a meaty, nutty taste, with a creamy texture, perfect for the famous porcini risotto.  Apparently dried porcini is where it’s at, as the drying process actually intensifies the flavour!

Some folks say that mushrooms have little to no nutritional value.  WRONG!  Most mushrooms are high in fibre, are a low fat source of protein, and contain B vitamins.  The best and easiest way to cook mushrooms is to sauté them.  But wait!  Over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms to the pan first before you add any butter or oil.  This will allow the mushrooms to release their liquids.  You can add some drops of water to the pan to make sure they don’t completely dry out, but only add your butter or oil once the mushrooms have shrivelled.  Typical herbs and spices for your mushrooms are: sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic, parsley, coriander, and chives.  But don’t overdo it, mushrooms are extremely tasty on their own, and are often used to enhance the flavours of dishes such as soups, pasta sauces, and risottos.

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Edible Mushrooms from Around the World

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Zip Lining in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a haven of natural splendour, exotic tropical surroundings, and has one of the largest percentages of land protected areas in the world. It has also become one of the world’s top zip lining spots- the Monteverde Cloud Forest, being one of the best trails in Costa Rica. You can discover the rainforest in an exciting, one-of-kind way that makes you feel like Tarzan with Superman’s cape on.

Balloon Ride over the Serengeti

One of the most romantic and exhilarating ways to see the wilderness of East Africa is to glide over its magnificent plains on a hot air balloon ride. Ascending over 1000 ft. in the air, this kind of adventure offers the height lover one of the most exceptional and memorable perspectives of this vast land. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on the planet, and is famous for its migration, with over a million wildbeest and 200, 000 zebras flowing through each year.

Grand Canyon Skywalk

One of nature’s seven wonders, the Grand Canyon is the quintessence of grandeur and exceptional beauty. The Grand Canyon Skywalk, commissioned and owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe is a glass bridge offering one of the highest vertical drops known to man. The Skywalk protrudes 20 meters and 4,000 ft. to the ground- which exceeds any skyscraper ever built.

Kauai Helicopter Ride

How about a ride in the sky in one of Kauai’s famous helicopter tours? As you journey over one of Hawaii’s most beautiful tropical paradises, you may begin to feel like you’re in a movie, though all you’d be missing are dinosaurs. Yes, Kauai was the main filming location for “Jurassic Park”. That area has since been bought by Time Warner, and been used for filming other movies such as “Tropic Thunder” starring Ben Stiller and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr.

Bungee Jump off the Macau Tower

If you are the ultimate thrill-seeker, then the Macau Tower is the ultimate vertical challenge. Boasting the world’s highest bungee jumping point, the famed Macau Tower, gives you an incredible birds-eye-view over the city. The tower measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point. It is the 10th tallest free-standing tower in the world and 8th tallest in Asia. An acrophobic person’s worst nightmare, an altitude seekers dream come true.

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Similar to my obsession with William Rast denim, I’ve always been a huge fan of Thai food, and I was hugely relieved when I discovered how easy and fun it is to cook it yourself.  But as was mentioned earlier, you’ll first need to stock up on the basics, which may seem like a lot at first, but once you’ve bought most of the following, you’ll have them on hand whenever you need them for several months.

Ingredients

Dried black peppercorns
Sea salt
Ka-pee (shrimp paste)
Palm oil
Lemon grass
Peanuts
Shallots
Garlic
Tumeric
Thai basil
Coriander
Thai chilli peppers
Galangal root
Coconut milk
Limes
Thai curry paste
Fish sauce

Equipment you’ll need!

Wok: The wok is at the heart of most Thai cooking.  In it you can boil, steam, deep fry and stir fry.  I was recommended a cast iron wok that has been already “seasoned”.  This means the wok has been subjected to a process of heating up, cooling down, and then oiling to stop it from accumulating rust and other less than tasty, toxic materials.

Clay Pot: A good medium-sized clay pot is fantastic for cooking your more saucier meals like soups, curries and stews.  Once you’ve filled the pot with your liquids, your vegetables, meats, or fish, heat them up over a medium high-heat temperature until they boil, then just pop on your lid, reduce to a low temperature and let simmer for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending if you’re cooking fish or meats respectfully.  Then you can simply transfer the pot from the stove top to the dinner table, making sure to wear gloves!

Stone mortar and pestle: This is where you can grind your seeds and spices or pound your pastes.

Rice Cooker: This is where you can, um, cook your rice.  You can buy a simple electric cooker or you can get fancy and buy yourself a sticky rice steamer, where the basket is made from woven bamboo and the base from aluminum.

Bamboo steamers: If you’re becoming somewhat of a cooking Jedi and you start making your own dumplings you can heat them up in this bamboo steamer.

You’ll of course also need:

Chef’s knife

Carving knife

Wooden spatula

Wire strainer

Peeler

Now that you’ve stocked up on these your journey into the delicious world of Thai cooking can begin!  One of the first meals I wanted to make was a Pad Thai, and the following recipe will not only teach you how to make this extremely popular dish, but you’ll discover a variety of other ingredients you can purchase to make an even wider range of feasts. (Cook any of these meals to perfection and guaranteed you’ll never find yourself on one of those singles vacations.)  Hope you enjoy!

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Thai Cooking: Cooking Equipment & Ingredients

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A typical South Indian Thali

Key Spices

“Masala” is the Hindi word for “spices”. Spices are fundamental to Indian cuisine, giving the food its unique flavors and aromas. It is important you do a little inventory management with your spices and keep them stored somewhere away from light or air as the spices will degrade quite rapidly. Store whole spices in tightly lidded jars. To ensure maximum freshness, buy whole spices rather than powders, and grind only what you need.

Essential spices you’ll need include:

- Red chilies
- Turmeric
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Dried Bay Leaf
- Green and black cardamom
- Cloves
- Cinnamon sticks
- Nutmeg
- Saffron
- Fennel
- Mustard seeds

When using spices for cooking, you should toast the spices before grinding them. This intensifies the flavours. You can dry-fry the spices simply by heating a heavy pan over moderate heat so as not to burn them then shake them until the wonderful aromas are released. That’s how you know they are ready.

Key Ingredients

In order to be able to whip up one of your favourite Indian dishes, you need the right ingredients.

Key ingredients include:

- Basmati rice
- Coriander leaves
- Plain yoghurt
- Potato
- Coconut
- Fresh ginger
- Gram flour (chickpea flour)
- Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
- Onions
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Potato
- Beans
- Chicken
- Lamb

Cooking Tips:

There is no right way to cook Indian food however there are simple things you can do to get the results you want. Pastes are essential to the cooking process when making sauces as they add thickness. You can use cashew nuts, browned onions or even coconut milk to thicken sauces. As mentioned earlier, it’s key to toast your spices to maximize flavor before grinding them.

Now that you have your basics, it’s up to you to get cooking! There are hundreds of recipes to be found on the web. I recommend this site for some authentic Indian recipes.

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Indian Food Basics: Spices & Ingredients

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Keukenhof Flower Gardens

Keukenhof, located in Holland, is the world’s largest flower garden. More than seven million bulbs are planted and cared for each year. The flowers are arranged in a wide array of patterns to incorporate both modern and historical looks. Though many of the flowers are tulips, the most famous Dutch flower, other flowers are incorporated in the designs as well, including hyacinths, daffodils and crocuses. While for many the flowers are the main attraction, children can pass the time playing on the playground and everyone can enjoy the live entertainment.  The Keukenhof also offers a romantic backdrop for young lovers to walk through, perfect for quietly slipping promise rings on delicate fingers.

Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens

Established in 1765, these gardens, located in Abbotsbury, England, are home to some of the world’s most exotic flowers. Winding waters and camellia groves make it exquisite. This 20-acre flower garden is also known for the magnolias. Rhododendron and hydrangeas also make an appearance. Visitors can explore the garden’s walled walks, cross bridges and find new, brilliant delights at every turn.

EPCOT Center

Located at Disney World in Florida in the United States, the EPCOT Center’s gardens are appealing to adults and children alike. Alive with color, they are shaped into classic Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy. Children can play at the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, as well. Enjoy the unique display of roses, tulips, daffodils and other flowers, especially during the Center’s Garden Festival.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

One of the top five flower garden shows and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, this delightful flower garden experience takes place in the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. Visitors can enjoy a landscape of flowers and enjoy floral products and great food. The show incorporates a children’s garden which has face painting, a butterfly enclosure and an animal farm. Meanwhile, adults cans examine techniques to create their own exquisite flower gardens. In the Great Hall of Flowers, visitors can wander among an alley of flowers and even purchase their favorites.

Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

The Biltmore Estate, built by George Vanderbilt in the 1890’s has one of the world’s most exquisite gardens and flower gardens around. The 8,000 acres of property (less than a tenth of the original size of the estate) has planted more than 3 million trees to create a full, lush forest, which features plants which are originally from the area. Additionally, the flower garden is set up so the garden is lush and beautiful year-round.

There are beautiful flower gardens in most countries, and most cities have a park or a flower garden its residents enjoy. If you’re traveling, ask around. Many times, residents will be happy to share their knowledge of their city with out-of-town visitors.

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What is a Bed and Breakfast?

Although many people think “hotel” when they hear the words “bed and breakfast” that’s not necessarily the case. Often, a bed and breakfast is simply a home that welcomes individuals, providing them with all the amenities of a hotel at a lower price. This provides a unique charm and a personal touch that many travelers enjoy.

First Things First

Before you begin, decide how many occupants you can reasonably hold. In order to succeed, the ability to sleep at least five individuals is necessary. However, adding rooms to a basement or adding a loft can still make this a possibility. Next, you have to make the rooms welcoming. You could install a picture rail in the guestrooms displaying lovely photographs that make the room walls more interesting to look at. Snacks for guests, TVs and DVD players, CDs and toiletries go a long way towards making travelers feel at home. If you are serving food, which you should be, you may need to get permission from the health center, so be sure check in with your town and county for the requirements.

Start Marketing

This step is important. If people don’t know you exist, it’s going to be pretty tough to get them to stay at your bed and breakfast. Put up a sign out front. Contact newspapers and magazines. Tell friends. Sometimes, word of mouth can be the best kind of advertising. Perhaps you could invite some friends to stay free-of-charge for a night. Though this can be expensive initially, they’ll be more likely to tell people about you if they enjoyed the experience.

Taxes

You will need to pay taxes on this business, of course. Put aside an amount each month and pay off your taxes each quarter. Remember, though it’s a business, you’re still self-employed, so you will need to pay self-employment taxes, which usually comes to about 15 percent of the profits. The good news is you can deduct many of the expenses of running the business and additional expenses from the total profits. Check with a professional accountant or financial adviser to make sure you’re going about it correctly and have all the right information.

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Transform Your Home Into A Beautiful Bed And Breakfast

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Choosing a Campground

When you’re on the road, it can be hard to decide where to stop, whether it’s for the night or a couple of days. Instead of driving until you can’t go any further, plan ahead. Consider what you’re looking for in a campground:

*Running water
*Relatively empty
*Forest
*Mountains
*Lakes
*Streams
*Paths
*Other activities
*Wildlife
*Reasonable price

All of these things are factors which you can examine before your trip.

Plan Your Route

Before leaving your home, decide how far you want to go. A good start could be a 300-mile radius. This can be easily accomplished in 5 or 6 hours, and will give you plenty of time to explore whatever areas you may end up in. If the area appeals to you, sit back and relax for a day or two.

Grab a map and look at the map’s mileage. Then, decide where you want to end up, approximately (say you’re starting in Florida and working up towards Idaho), and find out what’s along that 300-mile radius. With an RV, you can take your time, so there’s no reason to go in a straight line. Be adventurous and enjoy yourself.

You can also investigate any notable parks along the route. Decide which one best suits your needs and go. When you’re there, you can decide whether you want to stay for a few days or whether you’ll be ready to move on out the next morning.

Enjoy Yourself

Remember, in an RV you don’t need to stay somewhere that has amenities that other travelers need. If you’re not satisfied, move on. But don’t push yourself. Find a way to get the rest and relaxation you need and the experience you want. Soon, you’ll be an old hat at the whole experience.

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