Photo by Gina

World travel is cheap and easy. In fact, with a little practice and effort, you can travel the world for free.

The idea that travel is expensive and difficult is bullshit peddled by tour companies, hotel chains and corporate media.

The tourism industry wants you to buy cruise packages and stay at all-inclusive resorts.

They want you to choose a travel experience the same way you would choose a new jacket at the mall. They want your Credit Card number.

The tourism industry doesn’t want me to reveal the simple secrets of free travel, but I’m going to share them with you anyway.

It can be scary to venture into the world with nothing more than optimism and good-will, but personal freedom begins with a leap of faith.

1. Embrace the Simple Joy of Travel

Travel frees you from the grind of daily routine. You will explore new places, meet new people, try new foods and learn things about the world – and yourself – that you never imagined were possible.

The joy of new experience is the most wonderful thing about travel – and new experiences are free. Walk the streets of a city. Stop and chat with a local. People watch in a public park. Climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean.

The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of…wait for it…going someplace new. No tour package required.

2. Keep Your Needs To A Minimum

The modern American economy is built on the false premise that people need to buy new goods and services all the time. Again, I call bullshit.

People need fresh air, healthy food, clean water, exercise, creative stimulation, companionship, self-esteem and a safe place to sleep.

All of these things are simple to obtain. Most of them are free.

For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, take a walk. For creative stimulation, go somewhere new. For companionship, make a friend. For self esteem, turn off your TV, breathe deep and open your spirit to the basic goodness of the world.

Things like food and shelter are much cheaper once you get outside the United States. See # 5 below for ways to obtain food and shelter for free.

3. Go Slow

Cambodian Coast . photo by Ryan Libre

If you live in New York and want to take a 2 week vacation to Africa, it will be very difficult (though not impossible, see number eight) to travel for free.

Indeed, as long as you believe that time is money, you will spend money all the time.

Time is not money. Time is free. You have all the time in the world.

Instead of buying a plane ticket, catch a ride out West, or remodel an old sailboat, or just hop on your bike and ride away from town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.

4. Leave Your Possessions and Obsessions Behind

When you travel, you don’t need to pay rent. You don’t need a car. You don’t need an oven, a washer-dryer, electricity, Cable TV, a gym membership, a sofa and loveseat or a closet full of clothes.

You don’t need a suit and tie to wear to your job because you don’t need a job. You don’t need to worry about paying the bills, because there are no bills to pay.

You are free.

5. Trust People and you will Receive Free Food and Lodging

Many people are willing to open their homes to travelers. Chip in with a few chores, and they will give you a free meal, too.

CouchSurfing and WWOOF are two phenomenal online networks that help travelers connect with local hosts. CouchSurfing members are willing to give travelers a place to sleep for a night or two. WWOOF connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand.

Many members of both CouchSurfing and WWOOF are seeking an alternative to high-impact consumer culture.

6. Learn a Useful Craft or Skill

If you have a skill, such as cooking, animal husbandry, massage, musical ability or basic carpentry, you can barter for free food and accommodation as you travel.

Universally appreciated skills like cooking are best, though niche skills that are in high demand, like website design, are also useful. Native English speakers can often travel the world for free by teaching language classes in each destination they visit.

The slower you travel, the easier it will be to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local community or host.

7. Get Out of the City

Although it’s possible to travel for free in a big city, it’s damn difficult. Cities are built on money, and necessities like fresh air, clean water and a safe place to sleep are difficult to come by in cities.

Go to the country, where people are more relaxed, food is plentiful and there’s ample room for one traveler to lay out her sleeping bag under the stars.

8. Find A Job You Love That Entails Travel

If you need an income in order to pay off loans or support a child, find a job that calls for extensive travel. There are millions of jobs available in the global economy that demand travel.

Of course, some jobs are easier to love than others, and much work that involves travel also involves the destruction of local ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Avoid unethical work if at all possible – it is bad for your health and worse for your soul.

For job ideas, check out the Travel and Adventure jobs section here at the Traveler’s Notebook.

9. Embrace Serendipity

Traveling the world for free requires a blend of advance planning and the willingness to seize opportunities and go with the flow.

Does your new CouchSurfing friend want company for a drive across the country? Grab your pack and ride along! Does an organic farm in Thailand need a farm sitter for the rainy season? Get in touch with Christian Shearer!

As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”

Go Dancing.

What are your tips for cheap or free round the world travel? Share in the comments!

source:http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-travel-for-free/

Fotoausstellung: 11.11.2009 – 15.01.2010

Martin Roemers “Relikte des Kalten Krieges”

Ganzer Artikel

Abseits der Kunst, die meist schon in Katalogen dokumentiert ist, tun sich in Museen unendlich viele Photomotive auf. Im laufenden Museumsbetrieb kann der Photograph die Art der Präsentation, die Umgebung und die anderen Besucher ins Bild mit einbeziehen. Dabei ergeben sich spannende Kontraste zwischen Museumsgebäuden, den ausgestellten Objekten und den Besuchern.

In Museen findet der Photograph oft schwierige aber gleichzeitig auch interessante Lichtsituationen vor. Die ausgestellten Gegenstände sind meist punktförmig angestrahlt, die Räume großflächig mit weichem Licht beleuchtet. Manchmal kommt auch Tageslicht zum Einsatz. Da die Strahler eine andere Lichtfarbe erzeugen als die Umgebung, muss sich der Photograph für eine Farbe entscheiden. Viele Digitalkameras bieten die Möglichkeit, den Weißabgleich manuell einzustellen oder aus vorprogrammierten Modi zu wählen. Für einen normalen Strahler bietet die Einstellung für Glühlampen oder Halogenlicht eine meist brauchbare Vorauswahl. Wer auf Film photographiert, wird um Kunstlichtfilm oder entsprechende Farbkorrekturfilter nicht herumkommen. Negativfilme bieten die Möglichkeit, gewisse Korrekturen beim Erstellen der Abzüge noch nachträglich vorzunehmen.

Blitzlicht ist in den meisten Museen absolut verboten, ebenso Stative. Blitzlichter schaden vor allem historischen Farben, Stative sind ebenso wie Rucksäcke oder große Taschen geeignet, versehentlich Vitrinen einzuschlagen oder antike Säulen umzustoßen. Der Photograph braucht also eine ruhige Hand und ein paar technische Hilfsmittel, sollen die Aufnahmen von Erfolg gekrönt sein. Ein besonders lichtstarkes Objektiv hilft, kürzere Verschlusszeiten zu erreichen. So kann ohne zu verwackeln, problemlos aus der Hand photographiert werden. Außerdem sollte eine hohe Empfindlichkeit an der Digitalkamera gewählt werden. Vor allem aktuelle Digitalkameras neigen dabei weniger zum störenden Bildrauschen als ältere Modelle. Schließlich hilft ein Bildstabilisator in Kamera oder Objektiv, auch mit längeren Verschlusszeiten verwacklungsfreie Bilder zu erstellen.

Das Vitrinenglas selbst ist eine weitere Herausforderung. Zwar wird in Museen meist hochwertiges entspiegeltes Glas eingesetzt, dennoch können sich darin Fenster, entfernte Lichtquellen oder der Photograph selbst spiegeln. Mit einem Polarisationsfilter lassen sich zwar Reflexionen beseitigen, allerdings schluckt ein solcher Filter bis zu zwei Blendenstufen Licht. Wenn ohnehin wenig Licht vorliegt, besteht die Gefahr, dass dieser Spielraum nicht mehr vorhanden ist. Dann empfiehlt es sich, ein wenig um die Vitrinen herumzulaufen und so einen Standpunkt mit möglichst wenigen Spiegelungen zu finden.

Quelle : Fotopraxis  12 / 2008

Caretaker’s Gazette

(http://www.caretaker.org)

By joining this service (annual membership is approximately US$30), you will gain access to a classified system of people looking for caretakers in exchange for rent-free living. The opportunities vary widely in scope from ranch hands, to organic farm workers, campground hosting, motel management, nursing for the elderly, to just plain house sitting. Locales for your next potential gig could be anywhere in the world, from numerous U.S. locations, to Australia, to Europe and even Micronesia.

Some are paying opportunities, while others are simply work-trade arrangements for accommodation. Others yet will supply an additional stipend depending on your experience and the work entailed.

This is what TIME Magazine had to say about the Caretaker’s Gazette.

Woofing

(http://wwoof.org)

WWOOF is an acronym for a number of different phrases, the most apt of which in my mind is “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”. It is an international organization (located in over 70 countries) of organic farms, gardens, businesses, ranches, (you name it) where you can exchange your services for accommodations, food, and training.

Required services include basic garden and farm maintenance, as well as cooking, teaching, caring for children, and handy work. There is usually some work suitable for anybody willing to adopt this lifestyle.

Whilst surfing Wwoofing opportunities, you will likely also find links to volunteer organizations, and other similar work exchange opportunities. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience, friendships, and to cover your living expenses in a constructive manner.

Most countries require a subscription to gain access to their full listings and contact information of the hosts, and the subscription prices vary from area to area but are not over-priced for the value received.

House Carers

(http://www.housecarers.com/)

If you are happy to spend your vacation house-sitting for somebody else, you may find the right opportunity here. You will find lists upon lists of people requesting house sitters for periods of time from a few days to a few months, anywhere in the world. In many cases there are a few hoops to jump through in order to gain the opportunity with liability and bonding issues, and already living or traveling in the same country carries an added advantage.

You can choose from the limited free membership options or the full US$45 one year membership, depending on your needs.

Organic Volunteers

(http://www.organicvolunteers.com)

Much like Caretaker’s Gazette and woofing, you will find many worldwide opportunities to proverbially “pick blueberries for a living”. The prospects aren’t limited to organic farms though; you will find hostel management jobs, artist retreat internships, in addition to various agricultural and permaculture settings.

For US$20/year, membership will help you gain access to many great listings and a user-friendly system of contacting hosts and searching for opportunities.

Couch Surfing

(http://www.couchsurfing.com)

Couch Surfers are a network of people who are willing to open up their homes and hearts to frugal travelers, as well as be those travelers when they are not hosting guests. The site prides itself on referrals and having only high quality members, and has a comprehensive program in place to ensure the safety of both traveler and host. But as with any chance to stay at a stranger’s place for free, a prudent amount of caution should be exercised.

© Hamed Saber

Global Freeloaders

(http://www.globalfreeloaders.com)

Similar to Couch Surfing, Global Freeloaders is a cultural exchange program for hosts and travelers. Registration is free, but members are required to be able to host as well as travel, so unless you expect to be able to offer up your digs as a host within six months of signing up, you are politely requested to wait.

Servas

(http://joomla.servas.org/)

This is the original Couch Surfers and Global Freeloaders. Servas (meaning “serve” in Esperanto), is a non-profit non-denominational non-ethnic organization of good-will and cultural exchanges. It’s been around for at least 50 years, and is recognized by the United Nations. In addition to being a network to connect people and places, volunteers around the world work in relief camps and advocate for peace through various projects.

Hosts offer their homes and dinner tables for two nights (or more, at the discretion of the host) to travelers who contact them and who meet with their approval. Travelers must go through an exhaustive process which includes an in-person interview before being accepted to the program, as a way of screening for quality candidates.

Once travelers are interviewed and accepted into the program, they are given printed lists or booklets of the hosts in their destination country (Servas is moving towards an online platform, but is not there yet). There are also membership fees which vary from country to country.

Hospitality Club

(http://www.hospitalityclub.org/)

Free to join and internet-based, it appears to be the Servas of the online world. It is kept “safe” through a series of passport checks and online feedback systems with checks and balances.

These are just a few opportunities in the world of long-term travel, as you will discover with a little research. I don’t vouch for any of the services or programs, and a healthy amount of caution should always be exercised when accepting hospitality from strangers. However I think Servas says it best when they say: We are all friends. We just haven’t met yet!

Nora Dunn is a Professional Hobo and Freelance Writer, having given up the daily grind to search the world for the greatest adventures and best stories. She can be reached through her blog, Life Happens.

Die Tour führt durch den Darßer Urwald, eine Bruchlandschaft mit jahrhundertealten Bäumen, Farnwäldern und botanischen Schönheiten. Umgefallene, mit Moos bewachsene Baumriesen und Brüche, die durch das Frühjahrswasser noch kleine Seen bilden, geben der Gegend ihren speziellen Reiz. Makrophotographie steht hier im Vordergrund der Arbeit. Das Licht bricht als Spot durch die Baumkronen und liefert so eine pointierte, reizvolle Lichtstimmung.

Der Darßer Ort mit seinem historische Backsteinleuchtturm, der gusseisernen Innentreppe und den Panoramablick vom Turm auf den Darß und die Nährungsgebiete im Norden sind das nächste Ziel. Hier können wir das Mittagessen genießen und zur Entspannung ein Bad am Strand nehmen.

Der Darßer Weststrand ist das Spätnachmittagsziel. Diese ist einer der schönsten, wildesten und sinnlichsten Strände von Deutschland. Weißer Sand, klares Wasser, freier Blick nach Westen, Buchenwälder direkt am Strand mit ins Meer gefallenen Bäumen und sonnenweiß gegerbtes Strandgut, bilden vielfältige Motive. Hier wird photographiert, gebadet, relaxt bis zur goldenen Stunde und dem Sonnenuntergang bei Wein, Käse und Brot.