Archive for October, 2009
Happy Halloween!
By Thomas on October 31, 2009 | No Comments »
Not many trick-or-treaters in the streets of Bangkok but hideous skeletons and cackling witches dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller during the Happy Halloween Contest.
Wat Pho
By Tony on October 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »
We’re back in Thailand, where all that’s Buddhist glitters with gold. The sacred “motherload” would have to be the tremendous reclining Buddha in the ancient Wat Pho. Actually, the name of the temple is now Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan, but I, and most guidebooks, still refer to it as Wat Pho because – well – we don’t have » Continue reading this post »
Contemporary Nomad 2.0
By Tony and Thomas on October 22, 2009 | 6 Comments »
Hey everyone, welcome to ContemporaryNomad.com 2.0, an updated and upgraded version of our website with many new features which will make it easier for you guys to follow our travels, access our content, and share your opinions on the site.
First of all, notice that the register and login have been moved to the upper left-hand side of the page. New features include » Continue reading this post »
Leaving California
By Tony on October 19, 2009 | 1 Comment »
California has been, like, SO totally awesome! I mean I’m, like, NO WAY DUDES, margaritas and fish tacos with mountains of guac…
I love California and I’m seriously going to miss it, but expensive, pre-booked return flight tickets have a way of forcing you to stick to a particular departure date. Family, friends, the beaches, the sun, the Mexican food – oh, the tragedy, don’t make me leave 
Being nomadic most of the time, there is true joy in plopping down on the couch with a pizza and watching a DVD. The thrill of not packing or moving, not being sandwiched into third world buses has made California the perfect vacation from vacation.
But it’s time to get back on the road. So, it’s back to Bangkok to continue our adventures. Stay tuned, the explorations have just begun!
ESTA Scheme UPDATE
By Thomas on October 17, 2009 | No Comments »
I thought the newly implemented pre-registration with Homeland Security for U.S. visitors was just annoying, but at least it was free. Now, as it turns out, America is going to slap a price tag on it. That’s outrageous!
When I talked about the ESTA scheme in Welcome to America, I was bothered by the lopsidedness of the reciprocal visa procedure. Now, Congress has gone a step further. It just passed the Travel Promotion Act, a law which is supposed to promote the United States as a travel destination. Part of this program will be financed by imposing a $10 fee on tourists from visa-waiver countries whenever they renew their ESTA registration. Basically, ESTA is a visa in disguise. So much for the visa-free travel between the United States and the European Union.
Slapping an annoying new $10 fee and a load of confusing bureaucracy on tourists doesn’t seem to be the brightest way to “encourage” tourism. If you are American and you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. Visa waiver countries are sure to retaliate with a similar system. Oh, will the bureaucrats ever learn? If this is the government’s way to promote tourism, just imagine what they’ll do with health care!
