Experiences

A lack of inspiration can hold us hostage at any given time.

Whether it be caused from overworking, stress, debt, or any other number of life’s guerrilla tactics. When the creative gears grind to a halt it’s a frustrating ordeal for any of us. 

Especially when you factor in the looming demand of content creation.

For myself, I would actually say that the three previously listed culprits had their equal part in my creative hold up.

As my friends, regulars, and readers continually ask me where I am going next. For the first time in a while, I haven’t been able to give a clear answer.

Maybe a tour through Italy and Greece? Cappadocia,Turkey? Día De Los Muertos in Mexico?

Who the hell knows?

I started exploring of the realm of reward credit cards and travel points during my trip through France, as well as The Dominican Republic.

They should provide me with some new information, travel hacks, and further travel opportunities soon, but they also came with a hefty price tag and the necessary evil of debt which must be re-paid.

To tackle this issue, I picked up a morning job during the week, as well as more shifts at the bar as a means of funding future travels as well as paying my newly accrued encumbrance.

While my time is heavily occupied with work, this has helped me complete many exciting steps towards the future of growing The Traveling Barkeep.

As a writer, I never like to be inactive for too long, and understand that content creation is the lifeblood of any creative endeavor.

However, I’m still a quality over quantity kind a guy and would rather create something heartfelt then producing the same regurgitated bullshit.

So, for those of you who invest the time to keep up with me, as well as new readers, I love and appreciate you all.

I am continually grateful for your support, tips, advice, suggestions, patience and feedback in any and all areas of this grand adventure called life.

Thanks again, and here’s to the future!

Chefchaouen, also known as the Blue Pearl was one of the most magnificent cities I have experienced in my life.

I originally heard of this hidden gem while searching for sights to see during my upcoming two and a half weeks in Morocco, after discovering a one way flight from Madrid to Tangier for €17.

From Tangier, I traveled by bus with two newly acquainted friends from my stay at Kasbah Hostel Tangier and made my way to the mysterious Blue Pearl of Morocco.

 

The ride was about 2-2 1/2 hours, passing through some smaller Moroccan towns, with a single transfer, and a breath taking view of the Atlas Mountains.

Upon our arrival, me made our way to our different accommodations and met again for a night out.

I originally stayed at Casa Amina, a beautiful lodging with gracious hosts, but moved to Aline Hostel, yet another amazing accommodation, after the first night to hang with my friends and be a bit more centrally located.

Chefchaouen is a dream like city whose walls and corridors are painted different shades of blue, all the while complimented by the vibrant colors of the Moroccan rugs, leather goods, metal works, and other miscellaneous items for sale.

Walking around Chefchaouen is amazing enough on its own, but some of my personal highlights from this trip include..

A third generation metal shop where grandfather, son, and grandson, all produce and sell their works.

A cafe in the center of a passing stream, where you sip fresh orange juice, while you relax and cool your feet.

Home made soap and cosmetics shop with smells that can calm and overpower the senses.

Chefchaouen is not to be missed.

If you are taking the time to see Tangier, do yourself a favor and take 2-3 days to see this tranquil and hidden gem of the world.

Just don’t count on finding a beer too easy.

I was returning to the States on flight 413 from Punta Cana to Ft. Lauderdale on February 12th, when a man on our flight began passing out and complaining of having vertigo and being overheated just after boarding.

As our plane began to taxi on the runway, the Southwest Airlines crew quickly sprung into action to ensure this elderly gentleman’s situation would stabilize and that he would safely arrive at his destination.

They immediately took measures to cool him and the rest of the aircraft by giving the passengers ice water and providing the gentleman an ice pack to ease the effects of the heat.

As we held on the ground to ensure his safety, the crew then brought all of the passengers together in a brilliant display of teamwork.

Informing other passengers that there was a medical situation, they requested that we open the vents and close the shades to help cool the cabin, as well as inquiring if there was any medical staff of the aircraft.

Fortunately, there were several nurses and a pharmacist aboard the aircraft who checked his vitals and medications.

The nurse found his blood pressure to be high and advised the man that he shouldn’t fly and asked if he was experiencing chest pain.

The gentleman was determined to fly home and was very adamant to try to ignore the advice being given by the medical professionals and the Southwest Airlines crew.

He refused oxygen, and denied any chest pain, while his wife continually told the crew and nurses he had vertigo and nothing else….

The Southwest Airlines crew was respectful of the couples wishes, and allowed him time to feel better by continuing to hold the flight on the ground.

After quite some time his blood pressure still read high and the Southwest Airlines crew decided to return to the gate, where EMTs at the terminal could get a better look at his situation and provide a final determination to reduce any further delay to the other passengers on the flight.

The EMTs told the man that he wasn’t in a healthy state to fly and escorted the man to the hospital saying that his life could be in jeopardy.

Our charismatic pilot John eased the mood with the passengers by telling an anecdote in reference to an experience he had while flying in the military and looking for his aircraft carrier, where he lightened the mood and brought with it an excellent moral.

“It’s better to be bored on the ground than terrified in the air.”

We later learned the man stabilized in the hospital and would be joining the rest of his family the next day.

The rapid response time and proper identification of the mans symptoms by the Southwest crew avoided a potential disaster.

Kudos Southwest!

I’ll be flying with you again soon!

My girlfriend and I recently met a group comprised of some of my best friends at a destination wedding located at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic.

I ran into Jack, the father of the bride and overall one hell of a guy, at the airport and was amazed we shared the same flight in Punta Cana.

My friends Christine (a.k.a Steen), and Ameer (a.k.a. Am, Amstar, and the builder of this fine website, who pushed me to start this whole thing to begin with), arrived the day before us as well as Jeannine, the beautiful bride to be and Michael her fiancé.

Typically, resort travel has not been my cup of tea.

Yet, this all inclusive resort was beautiful, and the ceremony was equally so, with an overall experience that was more than memorable.

The Dreams Resort facility offered something for everyone, from a sports center, beach side activities, a massive pool, a spa, a casino, live shows, a night club, dancing on the veranda, and more restaurants than we could try.

Their staff went above and beyond to take care of our party, several of whom took the time to know us on a first name basis, actively seeking us out to ensure our stay was optimal.

To name a few, Scooby Doo and Vanessa were hilarious hosts and dancers at the veranda, who would often find us to let us know of any events later in the evening.

While our bartenders Carlos, Pedro, and Angel did an amazing job providing quick service and keeping the bar fun while you waited.

Walking into this experience, I was fortunate to receive some advice on how to optimize my stay, which greatly helped to maximize our experience and picked up a few helpful tricks along the way.

 

Bring a Yeti

This trick was easily the most helpful and was given to me by the Tobins, some of my bar guests who always have great advice since they are avid travelers as well.

The bars serve most beverages in plastic 8 ounce cups, and Tom and Cathy were right about how getting refills can become a bit tedious.

Having a Yeti helped us to be more efficient with grabbing drinks and helped to reduce the amount of trash we produced during our stay.

Bigger drinks, colder drinks, less waiting, and all the while people jealously look at you like a rockstar.

Brilliant!

Tip your bartender

Many countries don’t have the custom of tipping service industry employees, and in these countries it can be deemed insulting.

However, an all inclusive resort is not the time to be stingy.

Yes, you have already paid, but think about it.

Coming out of pocket can make a big difference in the lives of some of the employees.

For example, 1 USD is about 50 Dominican Pesos.

So, scout the bars on your first day and find which bartenders you like the best.

Tip $20 on the start of the next day and it’s amazing how quickly you make friends and get your drinks.

After that tip a $5 every few drinks and you will rarely wait and will get the V.I.P. treatment for the rest of your stay.

Take care of those who take care of you and you will never go wanting.

Choose fine dining options

Dreams Punta Cana had many food options but I found the best to be Bordeaux, their French restaurant, and the Seaside Grill, a steakhouse on the water.

With everything already paid for, I recommend eating at the fine dining options.

While the portion sizes were a bit small, it is understandable, considering the potential for food waste when hungry eyes read the menu.

Plus, if you want more, just order more.

All in all, you’ve already paid. Treat yourself.

Plus, the only complaint I would have with Dreams was that the late night room service menu that was the only thing I found lacking in options and quality during my stay.

So eat well, while you can.

Stay hydrated

After a few days of drinking in the hot sun, it’s best to remember the essence of life. Water.

It’s readily available in the resort.

It’s a life saver.

It’s game changer.

Need I say more?

In 35 years of my life, I had never traveled overseas with a girlfriend.

Though I’ve had the reputation of avoiding relationships like a fourteenth century European avoided the Black Death, the idea of it never bothered me.

I just never had anyone who interested me enough when any of my previous trips came about.

So when word spread I was soon to go overseas with my new girlfriend, the typical comments came flooding in as expected.

Everyone was amazed we got along, had fun, made up quickly when we disagreed, and want to travel more together.

Frankly, it’s pretty annoying.

As a single traveler I always aimed to get by as cheap, easy, and lightweight as possible. Drinking as much as the liver can process, muscling through my hangovers, and suffering sleep deprivation long enough for the process to begin itself again. All the while absorbing the culture and force feeding myself with the local cuisine.

Having my girlfriend as a travel companion in France grounded me a bit. Her capacity to consume wine and cheese is not fully on the same level as mine, so I didn’t party as hard and slowed down a little from my normal pace when abroad.

Our diets differ a good bit so it took a few days for us to get on the same page food wise.

The major reoccurring struggle we faced because of this through the trip was indecision. Both of us tend to go with the flow and enjoy spontaneous activities, so at times agreeing on somethings proved to be a bit difficult.

Despite this, having somebody to appreciate the sights, smells, and tastes of another country was overall really enjoyable.

We learned a lot about each other through the ten days and I would say the time away really improved our budding relationship for the better. We understand each other’s pet peeves more, bite our tongues less, and have developed better communication.

We’ve also learn she doesn’t like big crowds, and that while I will bungee jump the Nevis without hesitation, I have an irrational fear or Ferris wheels and will hold onto the rail like a little girl.

Who would have thought?

Now that we have been abroad together, I would say the travel bug has struck my girlfriend. We have to attend a wedding in the Dominican Republic as well as Las Vegas in the near future and she has now expressed a desire to go to Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey and just about everywhere else in the world.

I may have created a monster…

I haven’t really cared to write much recently.

Life has been slow, work has been frequent and inspiration at a miserable new low.

Shortly after my trip to Morocco, my ambitions were halted when my truck broke down, thereby forcing me to buy a new vehicle and leaving me in debt,

With my savings depleted, a newfound car payment, and my morale in the shit. I embarked on my newest adventure, a year of work.

I planned on using 2018 to recuperate from the financial strains that being an avid traveler can accumulate. I caught up on debts, repaired my credit score, and realized why a life of loans and debt repayment is not what I’m looking for.

I want more.

Fortunately, my travel lull will come to an end soon and things get back on track.

I’m off to France with my girlfriend in a few days and I can’t wait.

For a solo travel enthusiast, this should inspire plenty of new ideas and more than enough content towards the creation of any artistic medium.

All joking aside, I am excited to have somebody in my life who desires to see the world, and more so is willing to help foot the bill rather than extend additional expenses and dependence.

I’m back in action with a few new goals in mind. I can’t wait to share my experiences and look forward to 2019.

Safe travels and may the world embrace you with open arms!

As a kid I always loved martial arts. I began training in Pai Lum Tao Kung Fu around the age of 14 and did some some San Shou in my late 20s, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that I jumped at the opportunity to join my Kung Fu teacher Glenn C. Wilson and some of my fellow students when the chance to visit China and train at the Shaolin temple became available.

First thing, the visa process is a pain in the ass and the pollution in Beijing was a bitch.

I personally don’t like my passport leaving my side, let alone mailing it into an embassy, but if you want to go to China it’s a necessity. As for the pollution, I was stuffed up with an hour of my arrival, so bring decongestants and nasal spray for good measure. You will thank me later.

We flew to Beijing on Hainan air via Chicago and thirteen and a half hours later, we had arrived. The Chinese customs weren’t as rough as I thought they would be, however they will take your backup cell batteries, so leave them at home and save your money.

We exited the terminal and were greeted by Yin our amazing tour guide who was really informative and also saved the day on multiple occasions.

I’m not one who typically enjoys group trips. Single day excursions I love, but for me, being shoved in a bus feels like I’m cattle being led to the slaughter. I’m more at ease when I find my chance to roam the streets to satisfy my wanderlust and get a few local beers at night.

But some trips have a purpose.

Our first day after arrival was spent checking out the Great Wall. The section we visited had steps varied in size from inches to a few feet and the air was harsh. I injured my knee from a training mishap, so not only was I walking like the worlds oldest 33 year old, it took a lot out of me to climb. At some points I lifted myself up some of the stairs until reaching the highest point, before hobbling my way back to the bus in a hurry. I was miserable, my friends laughed, but I was successful and the view was well worth the effort.

The next day we were off to the Forbidden City. This is one of those places where I didn’t think I would be impressed due to the sea of tourists with cameras in hand, but I was amazed. The stone work and beautiful colors were visually stunning and it’s rich history was pretty impressive as well.

We spent the rest of the day hitting the streets, and I was introduced to one of my favorite pastimes, haggling.

In China, nearly everything is up for debate in terms of price. So have fun with it.

The following day was spent touring the Summer Palace and the Temple of heaven. Both were beautiful, but insanely busy. I would have spent more time at the Summer Palace given the option, but had to go because the tour was moving on.

 

That night I packed my things and in the morning we took the train to Zhengzhou.

We then boarded the slowest and shittiest bus known to man through Dengfeng towards old Shaolin. The ride took well over twice the estimated arrival time and after what seemed like an eternity we arrived at the TaGou Kung fu academy.

The accommodations were very meager, the showers were cold, and the food was mostly vegetarian, but the experience was legendary.

We woke before the sun for a jog at sunrise and an all day training session with one of their coaches. The mist settled heavy and saturated our clothes, while the trainer sized us up to see the skill level of each guest.

After a few hours of our assessment we were given a lunch break and told to meet in the training hall where we worked out all day, until finally being dismissed for dinner.

I will tell you I left it all on the floor.

If you want to get the most out of your experience as a student, there is no choice. You have to be one of the hardest workers to get further instruction.

On that note, the students here are seriously impressive.

Some are orphans who are on the path to becoming monks and others are ultra rich kids sent to learn the value of humility and hard work. Regardless of their standing in life, these kids live poor, and they work.

At one point I watched two kids roughly 7 or 8 years of age carrying sacks of potatoes up a set of about twenty stairs. They dropped it half way up and with one look from their teacher immediately ran down the stairs to start over.

I believe their regimen was 6 hours of academics and 8 hours of martial arts training a day, 6 days a week, chores all 7. If they slack on their grades or training, they have to put in overtime later in the day. They wash their clothes by hand, brush their teeth, as well as bath, all with the same bucket of water.

They love to practice English and call out foreigners to show their Kung Fu too.

As a warning, if you are brave enough to do so, they are not shy to tell you whether you pass or fail. Keep that in mind.

Our second day in Shaolin was spent touring the monastery and the surrounding local area, then later hiking up into the Songshan mountain range to see Damo Cave and the massive statue of Bodhidharma that sits at the top.

After some more haggling in Dengfeng that night, I crashed early and were on our way back to Zengzhou train station to return to Beijing. Thanks to Yin it was via a much less shitty bus.

Our final day in Beijing was in a different part of town and much more conveniently located to some some shops and locals bars. Many of my friends shopped for souvenirs most of the day. I got bored with shopping and went to the bar for some balance.

I already felt like a monk anyways.

All in all China for me was an interesting adventure. It weirded me out that random strangers wanted to take pictures of us and that I never knew when I was ordering chicken heads, but I learned some amazing history, picked up some new Kung fu, and got some chances to haggle my way to some great deals.

The movie title Planes, Trains and Automobiles does a really good job of summing up my month jet setting through Europe.

I found a cheap round trip flight direct from Orlando to Copenhagen on Norwegian for about $600, so I decided I would stay a few nights and start from there.

My plane landed in Copenhagen and immediately I hopped onto the light rail. It’s convenient and takes you from the airport directly into the city.

I got lost for a few hours due to poor directions to my hostel and walked in circles until giving up and finding the nearest pub to get some help. I didn’t really mind the mix up, but bartenders always seem to get you where you need to go and I was right around the corner the whole damn time.

Most of my time in Copenhagen was spent wandering the city aimlessly and taking in what I could. I walked through Tivoli gardens and eventually stopped into nearby bars where I chatted with some friendly locals.

Copenhagen is a beautiful city which a lot of travelers seem to overlook and I always enjoy my time there.

The Danes were great to me and I would love to see more of their beautiful country in the future, but it was time to go to Berlin via the longest walkway through an international terminal ever, followed by a quick flight.

The amount off beer I consumed while in Germany is frightening.

With a booming night life scene that can go well into the next day and alcohol availability that is reminiscent of Las Vegas or New Orleans, Berlin can get wild.

Fortunately, Currywurst and Döner Kebab shops are everywhere. My personal favorite was Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap and it’s well worth the usual 30 minute wait in line.

Berlin also has plenty to see for History and Architecture aficionados as well.

With sights like Charlottenburg, the Berlin Cathedral, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column and the Berlin Wall, this city has plenty to keep your schedule full.

I jumped on the train and headed to Hamburg to meet up with a friend who was studying abroad in Bremen for a night of drinking on the Reeperbahn for my next stop.

The Port of Hamburg and the Church of St. Nicholas proved to be interesting sights to buy me some time until she showed up. Afterwards, I knocked back a few Astras and awaited her arrival at the nearby train station.

The sun was coming up as we parted ways from of one of the many bars where we consumed copious amounts of alcohol throughout the evening and the reality that my train to Amsterdam left in a few hours started to set in.

She apparently never went to sleep after leaving the bar, took the train to Berlin, and successfully navigated a college field trip the next day. Rockstar Chick.

I passed out for 30 minutes at my hostel, then ran to my train still moderately impaired.

My connecting train was delayed somewhere just outside of the Netherlands where I was stuck on an open platform in the fierce winds while it rained sideways. Hungover, soaked and shivering like a wet dog, I miserably awaited my connection.

Amsterdam was a three day whirlwind. There is something for everybody in this city, so you definitely won’t get bored.

The Red Light District, coffee shops and bars are the most popular attractions. The people have a very “when in Rome attitude” and you can see some really funny shit.

I once watched a German mom negotiate a hooker for her early teenaged son as a birthday present. Think about that.

Sometimes when you are walking down the road, you overhear things. In these times some people may want to object their morality and tell others how to live their lives. Others may just lean against a wall and pretend to text in order to see what happens next. In this situation, I was the latter. Don’t judge me.

You can’t make a story like that up, so why pass up the laugh.

Cultural must sees are the Van Gogh museum, Reijksmuseum, the Anne Frank house and the tulip fields. I personally found the Reijksmuseum to be far more impressive than the Van Gogh museum. Most of the people I know seemed to skip it though and I have no clue why.

Next up, I headed from Amsterdam to Bruges via train with a connection in Brussels Midi-or so I thought.

The train rumbled as I left Brussels station.

I realized I had fallen asleep and hurled myself out of my seat frantically looking for the train conductor to find out where I was headed. She laughed at me in they way a southern woman would say “oh bless your little heart” and informed me I was bound for Paris whether I like it or not.

She told me she was in charge of a return train a few hours after our arrival and offered me a free ride back to Brussels if I met her on the platform 20 minutes before departure. I gladly accepted.

Lunch and an afternoon in Paris, followed by a free ride back. Pretty damn good mistake. That is despite my stuff being stripped apart by customs on the platform immediately after stepping off the train and having to repack my bag while the onlookers judgingly stared.

Still better than a minimum €60 return ticket.

I returned to Brussels, thanked the conductor for a great afternoon in Paris and headed for my original destination, Bruges.

My three days in Bruges were amazing. This small city has a relaxing pace and is a popular travel destination for many European couples. There are many great sights, but my favorites would be the Belfry of Bruges, and the Church of Our Lady, which is also home to the Madonna of Bruges.

From Bruges I returned to Brussels for a night with the intent of flying to Stuttgart the next day.

I wasn’t much of a fan of Brussels.

All in all, the city was beautiful and the beer was amazing. However, I was unaware many of the locals speak French and due to my ill preparation, found the people I interacted with to be more rude than any Parisian stereotype.

I know I just probably had a bad roll of the dice and I’ll probably go back someday to give Brussels another chance, but I’m not in a rush.

Happily I flew to Stuttgart, which was recommended to me by a friend who had been there many times for Oktoberfest, so I figured I would give it a chance for Frühlingsfest.

I eventually was allowed into a beer tent and after an hour of wandering, befriended a table of Germans. I decided to keep up with them and go round for round. This was great for a good time, but was not a good idea.

Judgement is the first thing impaired by drinking and alcohol poisoning can sometimes be the result of its absence.

7+ liters later, I was bedridden for the rest of my time in Stuttgart, barely mustering enough strength to get to on my train to Munich.

Most of my time in Munich was spent suffering the remaining consequences of my previous alcoholic endeavors. My hostel mates helped nurse me to good enough health where I could leave bed and finally see the doctor. I don’t remember their names, but I appreciate their good deeds to this day.

If you ever read this, thank you again.

I didn’t see much of Munich due to my illness, but managed to rough out one day to see Marienplatz, the English Gardens, and the Hofbräuhaus. My time was brief, but my desire to return to Munich still remains.

My final train ride was to one of my favorite European cities. Prague, Czech Republic.

The second leg of the 5 hour train ride was cramped. My compartment was filled with a combination of people and baggage, but the experience was unique and I had a great conversation with a local woman about why I should visit Čheský Krumlov.

Now I wish I would have.

After a few days in Prague, I made friends with a really cool Korean girl who was on holiday from her job in Sydney. Our hostel was located just outside of Old Town Square, so we saw a lot of the sights rather quickly.

Since I was on the final leg of my trip, I didn’t plan out Prague very thoroughly. She was planning on seeing an orchestra and asked if I wanted to go. After all, I had nothing to do anyway.

What music lover could say no?

After a few drinks at Czech Beer Museum and dinner at one of the local restaurants. The night had come to a close and we had to part ways in the morning.

I spent a few lazy days in Copenhagen recovering from the month long rampage on my liver and headed home.

Doing it over again, I would have slowed down. I would have spent more time in less cities and really enjoyed the pace of Europe. Trying to fit too much into your itinerary can really make you miss certain elements to the local culture.

I wouldn’t change the experience for the world, but it’s food for thought.