• Experience colder than single digit Fahrenheit. Ideally be able to throw boiling water and see it turn to snow/ice.
• Experience a good roiling storm.
• Roller coasters are fun. A little spendy. Don't want to wait in lines though, unless I'm with someone.
  • Busch Gardens was recommended as a more decorative roller coaster area, but I don't mind Six Flags on a parking lot either.
• Visit PS22 chorus

The Reality of Van Life on Social Media: https://youtu.be/KvOHjIGi30Y

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_parkstatus

It happens going east and west. Experienced getting up at 6am, 5am, 4am despite going to bed at 10pm each day. Was fizzed out mentally by 4pm each day.

Levi really liked the fish and chips place near Garibaldi/Rockaway Beach. “Fisherman's Korner”, worlds best fish and chips.

Can take YARTS from Merced/Fresno/ few other places to Yosemite and hostels outside. Take bus back to hostel, rinse and repeat for a few days.

Whether to fly into Fresno for $500 non-stop round trip or just fly into Oakland for $200 round trip nonstop and drive/take train to Merced and take YARTS.

Interesting.

Sylwia likes Polish clothing and shoes, understandably! Best for her to visit small shops in the malls.

• Brands: Wojas, Ryłko

Resturants: Vegan Bistro at Wojdeloi Str. Kuzniczki, Gourizou, Ping Pong

• Umam Marina (downtown) or Umam Hemara (wrzeszcz). michelin star cupcakes, ice cream
• Mulk Kashubian
• Pizzeria de Rafaelle (Italian folks making pizzas in the park area on the way to work. 2-8pm)

Poland has surprisingly cheap sim cards. https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/europe/poland/best-prepaid-sim-card-poland. I might just skip Google Fi? Nah, want to know I have service in Germany. $20 is cheap for that.

Want to book with Focus Hotel Premium as they seem to have a fridge and a “gym”/sauna.

Pay off card soon so you can spend more!

Try to take the train from airport to Wrzeszc PKP. Seems possible. Otherwise take N3.

Register with Intel SOS service: https://mytrips.travelsecurity.com/Registration.aspx

Grandpa was stationed at the Hantan River, near by the border.

Culture:

The common response to my concern for their wellbeing is: “teacher, I must study hard so that I can go to a good university”. They must then study hard in university to be considered for the best companies hiring graduates, who all want the same jobs. Then they are worked to the bone in their jobs until they are replaced by a cheaper, more educated graduate. They are forced to retire young and endure a life where they receive a derisory old age pension (€325 a month).

• https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/generation-emigration/stress-dominates-every-aspect-of-life-in-south-korea-1.2837362

Figure out transportation to south Japan. Fly out of Fukuoaka to Seoul? Seoul to Tokyo.

• Booking via Peach looks good. One Baggage fee is $12. Leave hiking poles in Tokyo area? Hmm…

Figure out what to bring home (snacks) for work.

He had an excellent time visiting the shrines and climbing mountains. Old and not Christian but interesting.

• Lots of shrines
• It’s the cultural capital, and used to be the actual capital.
• West side of Kyoto has lots of mountains and trails and water.
• Sen bong tori, path
• Orange gates on way to mountain
• Bamboo grove

makanamaikalani.t@ezweb.ne.jp

Really liked Shosei-En (garden). Entrance is in back of Higashi Honganji. The entrance feels like it should be on Kawaramachi and Shichijo, but it's actually on Shichijo and the other street. Interesting.

Liked Yamato oji. Kenninji (temple). Kiyomizu dera.

Where Toyota is

• Iojima is the island that traders came to.
• Lots of old Christian churches founded there.

Cool intro series (although war based). Supernova in the East, by Dan Carlin

• Japan didn't really want to get into war, but was sliding towards it.
• They had 1/20th of the resources of the US. Bombing Pearl Harbor and immediately taking over eastern side of Pacific was the only hope they had of getting an armistice.
  • Normally they would announce war a little bit ahead of time. “Don't kill a sleeping ——-, wake them up first then kill them”
  • Unfortunately this didn't happen, which made the Americans even more mad. Churchill was “glad” Japan attacked the US, because it meant Britain would be saved from Germany and the Axis. America had way more ability to create war resources. 10X everyone else.

Kiyoko's grandma is in Nagasaki. Can take train (Kamone) to Fukuoka airport for $50 and 3 hours. fly from nearby Fukuoaka airport over to Seoul cheaply ($60). Or take a flight, which is even more time and $250.

Toyota factory tour in Nagoya (2 hour shinkansen ride from Tokyo). Read a cool article on Takaoka #2. https://www.thedrive.com/tech/26955/inside-toyotas-takaoka-2-line-the-most-flexible-line-in-the-world

$500 if you do round-trip to Tokyo through LAX. Man…cheap.

October 1 through October 21-ish preliminarily.

Good airbnb recommended by Kiyoko: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6122133?guests=1&adults=1&sl_alternate_dates_exclusion=true&source_impression_id=p3_1557612231_cSxfFneC4nvTWSOs&check_in=2019-09-25&check_out=2019-10-02

Great climb. In offseason bus schedule is not conducive towards hiking to summit. Diff between first and last bus from fujiyoshida is 8 hours. Takes 1 hour each way to get there/back, and summiting is 4 hours min, descent, 3 hours minimum.

Earlier I saw you looking for pant recommendations for Fuji. When you get to Japan look for stores called Hard Off. Sometimes they'll have something else before the Off part like Book Off. Basically they are second hand stores and usually they have great stuff for cheap. You can probably find pants and things there.

Fuji isn't that hard. Its just a long slog to the top. Going down is the worst. When your quads are screaming try going backwards. You'll look ridiculous but it works. Last time I did that and lots of people were taking the cue and did likewise.

The best hike in the area by far is Kitadake. Look into it. Its an overnighter. There are two hut options. They'll have everything you'll need like food, water, and even a sleeping bag. The views from Kitadake are amazing. Fuji is cool because its Fuji but it doesnt even come close to Kitadake.

Definitely bring a puffy to Fuji. Its cold up there. They have food and beer up there too. Enjoy!

• https://www.japan-guide.com/blog/peaks/180731.html,

Offseason train schedule: https://www.japan-guide.com/bus/fuji.html

Climb Mt. Fuji on shoestring budget: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g298102-d321024-r228191721-Mount_Fuji-Chubu.html

• Map 1 and 2: (from Fuji Mountain Guides) yoshida_trail_map.pdf fuji_climbing_map_all4trails.pdf.
• I feel like I'd be much more comfortable climbing during the daytime. More windy, but more warm too.
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2017/06/09/travel/pleasures-perils-summiting-mount-fuji-off-season/#.XOLrg8hKiUk
  • But Yoshida trail is off-limits after September 10? http://www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/season/index.html. Nah: http://rokmeul.com/blog/113-mount-fuji-climb-in-off-season-yoshida-trail.html. Good guide from Tokyo and pictures.
    • Bring a dust mask and maybe think about hiking boots … hmmm…
      • One of the main reason for hiking boots is an ankle sprain, but an ankle brace is wayyy better. It actually bonds them together! Downhill sucks though for sandals…. But you can tighten the front, and most shoes suck downhill.
  • If need to insulate feet from cold while raining / snowing, use neoprene booties? $10 on Amazon is probably a lot cheaper than sewing them from leftover neoprene yourself. Not sure… https://www.amazon.com/Lifemall-UMM-Neoprene-Water-Black/dp/B00ZZJK1IW?tag=edgehunting-20 https://thegearhunt.com/best-waterproof-socks-reviewed/
    • Use a plastic bag? Also need to bring microspikes just in case.
• Another person recommends watching sunrise from 8th station hut, then comfortably hiking to the top in the daytime with a full night of sleep.
  • Mountain huts numbers and schedules: https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/travel/practical/pdf/Mt.Hut_Mt.Fuji.pdf
• Another person recommends Nagano for more waterfalls and close together mountains, etc. More like Gorge as opposed to Mt. Hood

More work to do

• https://www.fujimountainguides.com/off-season-two-day-mt-fuji-tour.html
• Fitness, gear, etc.
  • https://www.fujimountainguides.com/required-gear.html
  • fmg_physical_fitness_and_conditioning.pdf
  • Maybe $500 for organized tour isn't so bad. https://www.fujimountainguides.com/booking.html. Otherwise need to figure out what to book and get it done.

https://notesofnomads.com/fujiyoshida-youth-hostel-mt-fuji-japan/

Apparently Consign Furniture in Spokane is worth going to again, says Grandpa.

Glenn went to Disneyland with family. Nice to see your kids enjoying it, even if you're grimacing at $9 corn dogs and $450-$600 to stay at the Grand Californian (the nicest resort hotel at Disneyland). Also as adults it's fun. Kelly agrees.

Airbnb is pretty cheap housing too. Almost preferable to a hotel / hostel for 1 person, definitely for 2+ people.

• Fill out thy profile. Maybe copy from couchsurfing profile? Include wiki and facebook page. Will fix/diagnose computers for free
• Leave a review.

If you buy a camper, it's around $40 a month for a year long contract that gets you into a lot of trailer parks.

Immigration to US can be sped up using Global Entry. $100 one time fee.

I like using sinks over a waterproof laundry bag. And…I like just spending 30 minutes and getting laundry quickly out of the way while listening to something.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/18658

This might seem obvious to some, and completely out of the question to others, but it's what I do:

Wash your laundry before going to a new hotel. I do it in the hotel sink at night before going to bed, and by morning my clothes are usually completely dry. Of course, this can depend a lot on your clothing, and the material from which they are made. I make a point to travel with quick-drying clothes, and a travel clothes line to make this task easier.

Traveling this way also makes it easier to travel lighter, as you can carry fewer items of clothing, as you can always do laundry on demand, rather than waiting until the end of your journey, or when laundry facilities are available.

Another option, don't like as much

Can put dirty laundry alongside your clean laundry in same “one bag” travel cubes by enclosing the dirty in…several layers of shopping bags, will minimize permeability over time. However, if not completely dry (can use clothesline), will cause mold if left for a few days

Zip lock bags are relatively water tight but not air tight. All flexible packaging has a OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate) and MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) specification. The transmission rates of the compounds (aromatic, in this case) through the plastic barrier are directly proportional to the size of the compound in conjunction with the type of plastic barrier. PET (Polyethylene) has much better OTR values than OPP (Oriented Polypropylene) but more inferior MVTR rates.

So, occasionally there will be flight deals. See the repeated entries on Japan in “The Points Guy”: https://www.google.com/search?q=site:https://thepointsguy.com/deals/+japan&safe=active&ei=Ig3RXMPyMIeJ-gTty6eIAQ&start=10&sa=N&ved=0ahUKEwjDi8H1zYjiAhWHhJ4KHe3lCREQ8NMDCIUB&biw=1422&bih=711

• So I'm going to wait until 60 days beforehand to book and keep my Google Flights email updates at the ready.
  • Hopefully the nonstop round trip won't change from $900. Too bad one-way nonstop is $600.

Somehow a round trip from PDX to Tokyo is $500 (one stop in LAX), but going from LAX to Tokyo round trip is $650? And one way from LAX to Tokyo is also $650?

Award Hacker for points hacking. https://www.awardhacker.com

Also maybe All The Flight Deals

Great GUI for flexible date travel: http://google.com/flights/explore

• Other tools seem to only do +/- 3 days.
• Need to pick a specific airport for this GUI to show up when you press the date menu:

Mostly in Europe, and you can't find them on other websites. Book two months in advance and on flexible days and you can get RyanAir flights for 1/3 to 1/2 of other flights and they're direct! Downsides:

• Your schedule is etched in stone at that point, unless they will give you a refund? Not sure…
• There was a hard plastic ridge on the top of the seat that was right at my head. Otherwise the leather was fine. Maybe use a shirt as padding…

Can pack a little lighter. Less toothpaste and more shampoo.

• Wait, why use shampoo? I understand showering to some extent, but not really either.
• Don't buy things like eggs/butter unless you really plan on finishing them. Muesli / oatmeal and bread is good enough. Also, don't have to boil muesli, you can just have it with milk?!

One bag checklist: https://www.onebag.com/list.html, maybe Doomsday Prepping for less crazy folk: http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/prep/, doomsday_prepping_for_less_crazy_folk.pdf

• Get immunizations done, NOW
• Update STEP, NOW: https://travelregistration.state.gov/STEP/Index.aspx
• Driver's permit, passport, driver's license in safe place, plus picture backups of all of them. Is that it?

• Put key lock on phone, encryption not really necessary. Can get 3G GSM on Nexus 5 North American version. See what cheap phones there are in Poland, but it'd be good insurance to have a data / phone plan for emergency uber ride.
  • Put lastpass on phone?
• Chromebook for light battery-powered all-day plane/train computing as well as portable phone battery charger.
  • Still not sure though. Seems annoying to take care of and make sure it's safe.
  • Accordingly, set up other computer with website.
  • Set up lastpass, make sure all needed logins work with OTP and remember chromebook. Maybe give M&D phone sim? Interesting.

• Set up beneficiaries for … who?
• Make physical copies of passport and important papers (visas), and have a picture for good measure. Save on phone/Dropbox.
• Earbuds w/ microphone for calls. Make sure that it sounds good, especially compared to laptop microphone. Bring a backup.
• Are the flight dates right
• Tell credit cards / debit cards you are traveling.
  • Load up Charles Schwab debit card, they refund atm fees
  • Use Capital One Savor for 4% back on restaurants and no foreign transaction fee and no setup. But have a backup too.
• Passport, minimal credit cards, Oregon ID. Emergency 4-5 days of money in case you need to transfer money from U.S. and the debit card doesn't work. 1% transaction fee. Store in middle of backpack. Ask at hostel to borrow a lock or keep in safe.
• String / floss with hole in shorts or something similar? https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/88235/are-there-types-of-fasteners-that-are-more-pick-pocket-resistant
• Earmuffs so you can listen to things in peace, but also earplugs for sleeping at night comfortably (muffs are bulky).

• 1 athletic shorts, 1 non athletic shorts.
• Hurley nice shirt, 2 nicer one-layer shirt. Buying a reversible shirt would be good too, 2 styles in one! Maybe buy one or two there if styles are different? Like that spanish guy at CMU.
  • Wow, he recommends long sleeve linen or equivalent light-colored shirt, more than t-shirts and shorts. See what is at a goodwill in Poland or something. See what it's like in Poland…
  • 
• Deodorant, brushing toiletries. Less toothpaste, more shampoo.
• Package or two of fancy detergent to remove smells easier. Extra ziploc bags for anything.
• Belt
• Robust pair of decathlon sandals (my personal preference). $15. NH100, Arpenaz 50.
• Sunscreen
• 3 pairs of (polyester/etc?) underwear, 2 pairs of socks
• Utensils: Metal (airport security w/ carryon), Spork (too annoying for me to use), Chipotle plasticware! Free, good looking, and robust.
• Remove lighter from camping bag. Sweet, TSA is ok with them.
• Target sealable plastic container with spork/knife, just in case nothing is at dorms. But, you can just buy/borrow it when you're there too.
  • Otherwise shopping bags for carrying food is just fine. No fine cuisine here…

• Pre-load laptop or phone with some reading / videos / programming / thoughts. OpenCV camera shake tracking thing?
• No contacts (just glasses) in 3rd world countries? Might want to get a slightly better prescription before leaving
• Waterproof your backpack by lining with garbage bag?
• Velcro on pockets w/ important things in them so you can hear pickpockets opening them.
• Jerky/bars for plane ride and first hiking. Need predictable food and water at first.
• Crampons for potential snow on hikes.
• Insulating gloves.
• More toilet paper than normal in case bidet isn't available.
• Remove pocketknife from orange bag. Keep lighter though.
• On normal phone:
  • Forward SMS messages
  • Cancel Parental Control on router for that device
  • Turn off alarms
• Appropriate winter/summer clothes if necessary, ideally worn on plane.
• Carry-on weight and quantity is underneath flight limit. 1 bag, 8kg/18lb is worst case I think.
• Contacts / glasses
• Travel adapter + 3 outlet harbor freight splitter if needed
• Mask

Cezary recommended one with white text on a blue background. PLAY.

For some reason my laptop audio/mic is acting weird, so using Google Voice from home phone. Call GV number, wait for voicemail, then press *. Type in your pin, and follow the instructions to dial internationally.

Visitors office is + 48 58 347 28 28, but housing has one of the following suffixes and closes by 4pm Poland time: 2547 2286 1518

• Decathlon (other sandals, try out bikes). Go to Emeryville store, as it's bigger.
• Kickstart?
• Exploratorium. The Tech Museum of Innovation too?
• Dynamicland
• Computer history museum? Mack recommended it
• That fast IT training place. What was it called? You wrote it down in the wiki under learning I think
• Roller Coaster (California Great America)? or go to the LA one (Magic Mountain). In the winter the crowds will be less. But you'll have less sunlight too. Maybe they still stay open late.
  • Also should ride on the scariest part. Front or extreme back? On deja vu it was definitely the back Or was it the front?

Bla bla car

Use cash euros when possible, otherwise use axis or hdfc travel card from centrum online

Cheap to take train overnight, don't need to buy lodging

Ryan air is cheaper

Get walking guide for friendlier cities like amsterdam

Greet people in the local language

Couch surfing might be preferable for meeting native people, although the hostel host will be somewhat native too.

Just don't think international travelers are the native people.

Hostel is great for finding people to sightsee with.

However, couch surfing lets you meet locals easier and discuss those things at night.

Hostel is not that expensive for 1 person. $10-20/night, hardly can beat it, unless you have a family.

I would like to visit a concentration camp and a city <with bikes> in the Netherlands.

Bus and transportation mapping service for Poland (jakdojade.pl)

Wikitravel looks really nice! http://wikitravel.org/en/Gda%C5%84sk

• Looks like only SKM train goes to Gdansk Glowny

210 or N3 (night) train is needed, 4 PLN. Going from Port Lotniczy “lotkneecheh” (airport) to Gdansk Technical University dorm, nearby Wrzeszcz PKP station, or “vzesch peh keh peh”.

• Just in case, https://www.airportsineurope.com/airports/gdansk-airport/
• Get money from ATM, not currency exchange place. Get 5 PLN if possible, 10 is minimum so you don't get an expensive bus ride.

Dorms numbers: https://pg.edu.pl/osiedle-studenckie/contact

Look into getting a Gdańsk – Sopot – Gdynia Plus tourist card. Free bus and access / discounts to museums, but only 72h increments, not 1.5 weeks.

Downtown main station is “dvorznek guvneh”, or Dworzec Główny.

Grocery stores

• Higher end is piotr and pawel. Lower is Biedronka or Lidl.

Muzeum Solidarity, Katowice (amber museum), Moriecki Church, Zuriew by ottowe river

(bike to) Oliwo cathedral, organ, sopot, gdynia maybe, westerplatte

http://pierogarnia-mandu.pl/ (dumplings)

http://www.tlustakaczka.pl/ (duck dish, with duck soup)

Visit Hel, and kiteboard along there. Can probably rent kite, board, and lifejacket there.

Maciej recommends Helbork Castle (30 miles drive), start of WWII http://www.muzeum1939.pl/en/home-page and Westerplatte: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerplatte (do next time)

Travel to Warsaw/Krakow using Pendolino? Nice and not much more money.

Maciej also liked the Warsaw rising museum: (1944) http://www.1944.pl/en.

Royal Castle, National Gallery, Petec kultury

Wawel castle

Hostel I liked was City Hostel Krakow, older people and boring but good condition. Woodpecker hostel was hopping but underneath a nightclub.

Wieliczka Salt mine

Auschwitz (book in advance)

• https://discovercracow.com/blog/krakow-to-auschwitz/, need to walk 25 minutes? Re-read

Hike around zakopane on Sunday (2 hours transit each way). Salt mine on Monday maybe (only takes 3 hours, but is close by), but need to work too.

S1 goes from airport (krakow lotnisko) to downtown (krakow glowny). Last trains at 11:48PM and 12:18AM, otherwise take Uber or bus (902) or something.

• https://www.airportsineurope.com/airports/krakow-airport/

Bright and early 7AM to make sure you get to Auschwitz.

You booked Luneta Warszawska hostel.

Doris recommends:

Main square and whole downtown area, Wawel castle and the Wawelski dragon, Walk next to Vistula river called bulwary, Jewish part of the city called Kazimierz, Capital of communism in Cracow called Nowa Huta, Wieliczka salt mine

http://www.akademikigdansk.pl/en/home

Hostel gdansk in old town

$130 krakow to munich, 4 hour total flight. $130-160 frankfurt to amsterdam, 1.25 hour flight.

$160 krakow to prague
$130 prague to munich
$100 prague to frankfurt

$30 3 hour train from Munich to Frankfurt (but leaves in middle of day…).

I think Ryanair is sold out for the month of August. Need to book ahead of time next time!

Pick up a clothesline (Wäscheleine) at Globetrotter equipment downtown, maybe a flat sink stopper or using cloth tape too. Floss will work, kinda, but things might sink under weight and the hooks keep the laundry in place.

• Review OneBag's article on laundry. https://www.onebag.com/travel-laundry.html
  • Pre-rinse
  • Soak, knead a bit
  • Rinse and squeeze, but don't wring as it's extra wear on clothes
  • Use a camp towel to get out water

Train map: http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/fileadmin/media/Dateien/plaene/pdf/netz17April_DB_Englisch.pdf

S1 or S8 trains go to Munchen Hauptbahnhof.

Train to Neubiberg is S7 and stays in the same zone but crosses 4 rings. Maybe buy Isarcard for 4 rings for 1 week. Or Just ask http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/fileadmin/media/Dateien/0_Startseite/MVV_Handout_fuer_Touristen_en_161104.pdf

Book an overnight hostel. Can probably leave stuff locked there during traveling.

Need to get a train ticket still. Taking flight. Faster-ish.

Can get wifi at library for a year if you pay 12 euro. https://www.oba.nl/oba/english/memberships-and-rates.html

Get to Amsterdam Central Station, there's a train that leaves often.

To get to the hotel (Euphemia Old City Canal) from the airport, take the train to central station in Amsterdam and from there take tram # 16 or # 24, get off on the 5th stop - Weteringcircuit. You are now on Vijzelgracht, turn around and walk back a bit. The Fokke Simonzstraat is on your right hand side.

PAY WITH CASH at hostel at least

Check out NEMO (and roof thing) on Sunday. 10am to 5:30pm

Great option, gets you “seeing” stuff downtown a lot faster. Especially in Munich apparently, you can ride down the Rhine.

• However, likely I won't just be looking at the outside of things, but going inside too. So walking distance + bus / public transportation is probably fine
• Consider a guided bike tour?
• $15-25 a day is cheap??? Maybe it is…I would think buying a folding one, fixing it up slightly, and taking it with you is cheaper/easier. We shall see…

Crazy crazy

Recommends visiting Krakow (southern poland) for more festive scene than Gdansk. Also visiting Prague as none of their buildings were bombed to smithereens by the Germans as they surrendered early.

Also liked Barcelona, Spain, as the museum (Louvre) is biggest in the world and yady yady.