A Library in Your Travel Bag

Nobody likes to be bored when they travel. No matter where I go, I bring along some form of entertainment, whether it’s reading material, a game or a puzzle book. Sitting on the airplane, train or in the car, you can’t always pass the time sleeping or shooting the breeze with your fellow companions. Also, sometimes you just want some time to yourself. In anticipation of the Shereen Travels Cheap book coming out in the next week, I’ve been thinking more and more about ebook readers and what great travel companions they make. While I LOVE a good book, I also love saving space in my luggage. Before Kindle came along, I always took up too much room in my packing with physical books. With one book that I was in the middle of and another as backup for when I finished in the middle of my vacation.

Are you a lover or books and reading? If so, this may still be your problem. While you can leave books in many hotel lobbies for other avid trip readers, books still take up room in your bags. Whether they are travel books, reference books, novels, journals or text books. Now, I carry 80% of the books I own with me, as well as blogs and newspapers I read often. I take notes on my device, too. The space I save by owning a Kindle is invaluable, because I have a wealth of information at my disposal, infinite reading material as well as Internet access, should I need it.

You rarely see me go anywhere without my Kindle and anytime anyone asks me about it, I am singing its praises. I love, love, love my Kindle, though I know it’s not the right ebook reader for everyone. There are new and improved models, but you can also choose from Nook, the Sony ereader and numerous others. There is certainly one for everyone now. While they may get smaller, the font size is always adjustable. Great for your little sister or your grandma!

Ebook readers can be super useful, as many have Wi-Fi now and can be used as tablets on-the-go. Plus, if you own an iPad, you already have a book reader. With free reading apps, they do double duty. Take pictures, write notes, check email, pay bills, Skype with friends and family, update your blog and read all the books you want. In the same space of a regular size novel, you can take every book you own (or at least the ones you downloaded). Kindle books run cheaper than actual books and you save paper and space at home and on the road. You can find most books for around $9.99, though some are more if they are new releases and many are cheaper to entice you more. In fact, there are many free and $.99 books for download and this is true on other services that are not on Amazon. Order with the credit card you have on file and get it wirelessly in under a minute. Lend books to friends, upload your own books and even listen to audio books or MP3s.

Here I am enjoying my own Kindle.

I prefer my Kindle with the 3G, because I don’t have to find a Wi-Fi connection to download a new book. As long as there is cell service, I can read something new. If you spend a lot of time in coffee shops and other places that are Wi-Fi hotspots, then you may wish to save money on your ereader and get one that has Wi-Fi only. As long as you aren’t continually using the wireless function, your battery will last much longer than you would have thought. When I’m not on vacation, I read on my lunch break at work. I have been able to read for 8+ hours on one battery charge, which is more than I can say for the battery life of any other electronic device I own. So, whether you’re on a 2 hour plane ride or a 15 hour train trip, your ereader can make the journey with you without needing recharging for a long time, making it one of the best travel companions you could own.

To The Dungeons with You!

If you are easily amused, like cheesy attractions, want to learn a bit of history and find bad lighting either creepy or hilarious, then The Dungeons are your cup of tea! If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out even one of the six Dungeons, you need to put it on your travel list to do when you visit London, Edinburgh, York, Blackpool, Hamburg or Amsterdam. While in London, close to Halloween, I was dying to visit the London Dungeon and my husband, Eric, was only too happy to oblige. He’s not afraid of anything and I’m afraid of everything. I had heard from a friend that it was kitschy, but I’m totally into that sort of thing.

Hokey, right? Ha!

We strolled up on a Saturday evening and were surprised to find a long line out the door. We waited a good hour to get in, but we were not disappointed once we made it to the front of the line. First, we had the chance to take the obligatory tourist photo with Eric in the stocks and me wielding the axe to cut off his head! Lame? Maybe. Fun? Definitely. You’re taken though the streets of London, showed various torture devices, taught about the dungeons of London, sent into the hall of mirrors and then you meet the judge that sends you to the executioner, who will be your host on the boat ride to Hell.

Think it’s over yet? No! You take a seat in one of Sweeney Todd’s chairs and hear the disturbing story of his business with Mrs. Lovett. I thought this part was really fun, even though it was totally in the dark. Eric told me that it freaked him out. So, the dungeon really has something for everyone and, for the price of admission, you sure get your money’s worth on this 90 minute tour. Make sure to get the best deal on your tickets by purchasing them from The Dungeons’ website. Save even more if you plan to visit mid-week. You probably won’t have to wait in such a long queue then either.

Have you visited any of The Dungeons? Did you find it fun and scary, too?

Do You Have The Time?

Doesn’t the Prime Meridian sound cool? Like it’s something out of a sci-fi movie that the villain is trying to steal in order to take over the world? Unfortunately, it isn’t something so spectacular, but it’s still something I recommend to anyone planning a trip to London (or for those who live in London to go check out). Take the tube or river boat to Greenwich and check out the Greenwich Observatory. Not only does it tell you all about time zones, but this is where all time zones originate from. Ever wondered what GMT stood for? Well, it stands for Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is the time all other time is figured upon. Greenwich Mean Time is the only time that matters. In Portland, we are GMT -8.

While there are some really amazing other things to be found in Greenwich, you’ll want to make sure you wander outside the observatory and stand on the actual Prime Meridian. Put one foot on each side and you’re standing in both the eastern and western hemisphere at once! In fact, what’s even more interesting is that you are standing at 0. 0 degrees longitude, 0 degrees latitude. Does that mean you’re also somewhere and nowhere all at once? Maybe! It’s even free to do, so why not? Don’t forget to bring your camera. Get photographic proof of your existence, as well as beautiful views of the grounds and London.

Visit the first shop in the world on your way to or from the boat or tube station.

Chislehurst Caves: The Underground Town

It’s not often we get to see what happens underground, which is a shame, because many times it can be super cool. In the past few years I’ve been fortunate to see many underground attractions, like Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels. One of the others I add to my list is Chislehurst Caves. A short train ride from London will get you there and it’s not a far walk from the station. Chislehurst Caves was listed as an included attraction with our London Pass, so we figured with our free day, we should go check it out and then either head on to Windsor Palace, Eltham Palace or head back into London to hit up the zoo. We are always on the lookout for fun and unusual places and we enjoyed the novelty of taking a train, so we made plans to check it out.

“Orpington, this is Orpington.” The robotic woman’s voice announcing the stop made it feel like we were stepping into a sci-fi adventure. Oddly enough, Chislehurst Caves was similar, having been used in the original Dr. Who show as the set for The Mines of Solos. Of course, we didn’t know that yet. We didn’t really know what to expect. Having visited near opening and also in the middle of the week in the late fall, we ended up at the Caves and found ourselves practically the only tourists there. There were a few visitors, but it appeared that they were just leaving. As a result, we had a tour guide all to ourselves and were able to ask all the questions we wanted, chit chat about TV shows and get a closer look at some of the sets and artifacts.

Stage that has seen acts like David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd

What drew me to the caves in the first place was not the fact that they were chalk mines and mined for bricks for London buildings or even that it was used as the set for multiple shows and movies or a concert venue for up-and-coming acts like the Rolling Stones. I mean, sure, those things are interesting, but the fact that it used to be an air-raid shelter. During WWII thousands of families took shelter down in the caves and a whole city was built and life was conducted underground. Imagine going to school, church, the doctor and then going “home” in the labyrinth of caves to escape the horrors of war. The caves housed over 15,000 people at that time.

The caves may seem creepier than they would if they were lit up, because you carry a lantern throughout your 45 minute tour. The shadows can play tricks on you and you also wonder what lurks in the darkness beyond the circle of light cast by it. The walls have a twinkle to them, from the flint that is also found there, and was a big reason that Dr. Who used them to film in. You will see some items that were left behind when the caves were closed as an air-raid shelter and wonder if it was just as frightening when those people were living there. Each family was assigned a set of bunks to call home and were allowed to bring only what they could carry, which couldn’t have been much.

Even now you can view remains left from WWI, when it was used to house artillery. Bring a sweater and your camera, plus make sure to wear good walking shoes, as the ground is uneven and you will walk about a mile down there. Make a detour to the gift shop and café on your way out to commemorate your visit and also help to keep the caves open and available to tour. Prices are very affordable and only cost 5£ for adults and 3£ for seniors (over 60) and kids under 16. Under 3 are free! I would certainly suggest this as an addition to another activity out of the city if you will be taking the train, as it will give you an excuse to buy a day pass (if you don’t have the transportation option on your London Pass or an Oyster Card) and make the most of your money. If you’re driving, Chislehurst Caves is easy to find and also has free parking. Score!

Need more reasons to visit London? Check out London Pass and these articles I wrote on how to do it on a budget!

 London For Less (So You Can Buy More Shoes)

Can You Hear London Calling?

Explore London While Staying Within a Budget