Barking dogs, tolling church bells, blaring music, parading bands, exploding fireworks, police whistles, sirens, and crowing roosters are among the many noises that make up the soundtrack of life in Latin America, our home-away-from-home for nearly two years now.
Like many visitors, we have a love/hate relationship with the auditory vibrancy of the Latin American lifestyle. Most of the time, the crazy cacophony charms and amuses us. At 3AM, not so much.
Not to worry: There’s an app for that.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Say goodbye to hefty monthly contracts and global roaming fees with a $199 Apple iPod Touch.
When my husband and I made the decision to put our life in New Mexico on hold and set off for an extended romp through Latin America, it wasn’t where we’d live, how we’d get there, or even what we’d take that worried me. The Internet, vacation rentals, hotels, airplanes, and local shops offered easy solutions to those problems.
What did present a challenge, however, was a question on the minds of many Americans traveling abroad: How can I avoid the global roaming fees of my U.S. based mobile phone provider and still stay connected?
Nearly eighteen months into the adventure, we’ve said goodbye to hefty monthly contracts and global roaming fees, in large part thanks to the simple convenience of a $199 Apple iPod Touch.
Basically an iPhone without a monthly contract, the iPod Touch is proving to be an essential pocket-sized travel tool and budget-friendly communications alternative.
Here are 3 key ways I use the iPod Touch in lieu of a global smartphone.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Pure fun, that’s what these pretty-in-pink ear buds from OTTO are. Your boss might think otherwise, but phooey on her. Pop these noise-cancelling, music-rocking buds into your ears and it’s goodbye cubicle, hello nirvana. Perfect for cranking iTunes from your laptop, bebopping to Mama Mia enroute to Greece, or simply tuning out CNN at the gym. $69.95; www.hearotto.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Bound for Paris? Off to Rio? There’s nothing better to get you in
the mood for a destination than its music. Before your next great trip,
start your journey online at NationalGeographic.com.
From a scorching blast of Mali rock-n-roll
to the sizzling salsa of Brazil and the Mardi Gras melodies of New
Orleans, busy travelers can jazz up their pre-trip preparation by
listening to National Geo’s free world music podcasts and videos.Experience the soundtrack of the world – at zero cost.
Won’t leave home without your iPod? Check out the growing library of pre-selected music playlists keyed to some of the world’s hippest destinations from National Geographic Traveler on iTunes for your wanderings. Download individual songs or the entire playlist for only 99 cents per tune.
So, go on, get your groove on, and hit the road blastin the destination’s best tunes. I’ll be the gal bee-boppin’ in the airline seat beside you!
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".