Sunday 7 July 2013

From Canada to The USA by bus

Updated in July 2021

In June 2021, Greyhound cancelled all services between Canadian Cities; Greyhound U.S. is currently operating only 5 routes: Toronto to Buffalo, N.Y., Toronto to New York City, Montreal to Boston, Montreal New York City and Vancouver to Seattle. The Philadelphia Toronto route was cancelled. Hopefully, the reduction in the number of routes  Greyhound can improve their services. After this trip, I described I was brave enough to the Greyhound twice to Cleveland. The last trip was a true nightmare, bad enough to make me go back to visit my friend only after I bought a car. So now I drive there. Still worth reading a little about this experience of what sounds like ages ago


                                                                    freedigitalphotos.net




Greyhound Experience
From Toronto to Ocean city , from Salisbury to Toronto by Bus

Itinerary :Toronto-Manhattan-Newark-Baltimore-Wimington-Dover-Salisbury-Ocean City.

What a night.... what a day. My bus left at 7:45 pm as scheduled and, then I went away again hit the road… one of my favorite parts of the trip. I love to see how people behave in bus terminals and that is where diversity has its strongest presence. As usual there was a kid crying all the way but earphones help a lot.
 10:00 pm: Immigration - process was fast but we had to wait for one hour in the bus to head to NYC. During the night there were two stops, but nothing I wanted to eat. I bought water and a plain croissant, it was ok.
7:20 am: I was back for few hours but back to NYC …what a crazy place… still the same busy place that never sleeps. So many people… for sure thousands of people doing yoga on Times Square and a huge line in front of CBC with screaming  girls waiting for John Legend. I had my breakfast and came back to the terminal… not before taking many pictures of the signs I love .


Times Square at 7:30 a.m - yoga and John Legend


Back to the terminal… my bus was one hour late because the driver did not show up.. and I still had to take the Ocean City bus that leaves once a day . On the way to Ocean City the traffic was horrible, I chose the best day to travel ( I am being hironic) Firefly Music Festival started the day I passed by Dover and it is on the way to Salisbury, place I should change buses. Well in a nutshell my bus arrived 3:30 hours late and I had to take the regular bus to Ocean city. The driver from the other bus waited until 15 minutes before we arrived. It is incredible how Greyhound can be bad, they have no communication with the drivers, and there is always I drive assistant. The trip from Salisbury to Ocean City by  public bus was really bad. Anyway 4:00 hours later than I was supposed to be, there I was in Ocean City.


                                                                        freedigitalphotos.net





Return Trip
From Salisbury to Toronto
Itinerary: Salisbury to Philadelphia. From Philadelphia to Toronto.

On my way back 6 days later another problem with Greyhound they simply changed the pick- up location in Salisbury, but there was nothing written in the ticket. To my surprise when I arrived at the old gas station also called terminal, there was a sign with the new location. They moved 3 days before to a location that is 20 minutes away by car and I believe impossible to get by bus… I was lucky my friend drove me to the other station... I wonder what would have happened if I was alone...there are no taxis around, and the region is very poor.
Once in Philadelphia, the Terminal was ok near the Reading Market. My bus was going to leave at 11:00 pm… I arrived at 2:30 pm so I had time to feel the city.

Megabus experience

Well you have to take Megabus in the middle of nowhere near Amtrak Station – 30th Ave and Market Street, the place is under construction so it looks dangerous but actually it is ok. According to the Visitors Centre clerk “ you get what you pay for” so never expect much. By the way if you have a bus ticket you have no right to rent a locker, the lockers are only available to Amtrak's passengers.

Bus Terminal in Philadelphia

The bus arrived one hour later and we had to wait in a place that there are no seats or shelter, in the winter it must be horrible. Once the bus the trip started I had the impression the bus was passing on rocks and going to the right. We arrived in Buffalo 8:30 am and the driver told us that due to a mechanical problems we would had to wait half an hour to a mechanic… so after 5 hours Megabus sent us an email apologizing and telling that there would be a refund…they sent us another bus at 2:20 pm
We all arrived safe with a huge delay. Megabus was decent to return us the money





If you go travel Toronto- New York - Toronto it is ok to go by bus...but if the place is hidden somewhere in the United States, rent a car ...take the plane, a train or meet your friends somewhere else.

Friday 7 June 2013

MILAN

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Travelling is amazing, visiting new places, meeting new people, sightseeing... but  what about travelling and learning something at the same time? Even better, isn't it?
There was a time I was very stressed... too much work, no rest. I was working all day at the office and taking Italian classes in the evening.What a beautiful language, what a dream to visit  that country. I have a bachelor of Arts in Tourism, and during college I had the privilege to study History of Art. I remember seeing videos about Renaissance in Florence and start dreaming about seeing all that beauty with my own eyes... I was always thinking of traveling to see The Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli) Galleria Degli Uffizi or going to Venice before it is too late. So I started searching for courses. My teacher told me there was a good school in Florence: Istituto Italiano, so I packed my backpack and flew to Italy. The next articles will be about my experience there, places to go, things to see and do for all tastes, pockets and interests.

I bought my ticket to Milan at Tam Viagens, direct flight, perfect ... unfortunately I stayed too short in the city, I went around to see how beautiful and busy it is, people sitting in the bars on the sidewalks, big city atmosphere but with the European Architecture... 
Well, I am lucky I know someone who can help you to get the most of the city, a friend who lives in Toronto but comes from Lomazzo, a small town between Milan and Como. She studied in Milan for 5 years,and was very nice to contribute with article and give great tips... so, take notes!!!


Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
Places to go: Piazza Del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele are the most famous places, but it is in  Santa Maria Delle Grazie that you can see the masterpiece " The Last Supper"  by Leonardo Da Vinci. Some other must see places are Palazzo Reale, Pinacoteca di Brera, Castello Sforzesco, Parco Sempione and Teatro alla Scala. Milan has some many attractions that no matter how long you stay you will have an amazing place to go.




Things to do:
It is a great place for nightlife... If you are in your late twenties, early thirties don't miss the chance of going dancing in Old Fashion. For the ones who are able to spend more, Just Cavalli is the place (yes, Roberto Cavalli is the owner). For those who prefer observing the beauty, Globe, located on the top of Coin building, has an amazing view of the city. In case you are a fan of unusual things go to Nottingham Forest.  there you can choose very different drinks served in glasses that are anything but ordinary.
For Spring and Summer Bar Bianco, in Parco Sempione, and any of the bars on Corso Sempione are worth  checking.
Nottingham Forest: Unusual drinks; unusual way to serve them

Shop, Shop, Shop....
FreeDigitalPhotos.net                         
 Galleria Vittorio  Emanuele is the first place people think they should go to buy... but Milano has much more to offer: Via Della Spiga or Via Monte Napoleone are also great places to purchase all the brands... Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany , Burberry, Armani, Cavalli just to name some...




Where to eat

                                                                  FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Navigli is the best place to eat: there you will have the chance to try Ham, Risotto, Beer for the first time ... I forgot to mention Ham, Risotto, Beer Ice Cream... have you ever heard ? If it is too much you can still have a chocolate, or another regular flavor write down the name of the place, it is Crazy Ice  hard to forget.
For the ones with a more expensive taste Maio, On top of La Rinascente is great. Do you like Caviar? How does it sound, Rice tagliolini with caviar?  Ristorante Cracco  (owned by The famous Chef Cracco) is the place to have dinner, it offers fancy creations.


                                                                    If you want to Study
Some of the best Universities in Italy are located in Milan: Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Universita Luigi Bocconi, Politecnico di Milano, Universita degli Studi di Milano.
If Italian is your passion, Milan offers many schools Accademia Di Italiano , Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci with prices starting at 200,00 euros a week. For more information click Language International..


                                                   
                                                 

                               Spring is the best time of the year, but summer is also great and very hot.
  


Where to stay: Talk to a travel agent, or click in your favorite: Booking.com.com  or  Trip Advisor
If you prefer saving money go to Prices for dorms start at CAD 38,00. I personally visited there, the location is great, good atmosphere and clean .
                                                      
                                                        FreeDigitalPhotos.net
  • In Italy you can't pay for the bus inside the vehicle, you have to buy the ticket (biglietto) before taking the transport. If you need to take a bus go to a tabaccheria, to a bar or to a Newsstand (edicola). once you are in the bus you have to validate the ticket in a machine. If you are asked to show your ticket and it is not validated you have to pay a fine.
  • Save money buying  Milano Card: it's only 6,50 euros  or 13 euros for 3 days. With the card you have free public transport ( limited to 48 hours), free medical assistance, some free museums, discounts in many attractions a lot more things check out their website: http://www.milanocard.it/


Thanks Silvia for your contribution !!!

If you have any questions or  tips, please leave a comment 




Saturday 18 May 2013

My Co-op experience in Canada


                                                            http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/



Hi friends,

I can say I am a lucky person.
I had a great co-op experience In Toronto Green Community , a grassroots non-profit organization that educates people about environment, helping Torontonians to leave in a more sustainable way in order to make Toronto a greener city, a better place to live, work and play.
After volunteering for two Christmas in their Eco Gift Wrapping program I understood that the best thing is to  work for a cause you believe, and I believe in their dreams of a better world.
I can say it was a perfect combination of learning and having a great time helping.
During three months I had the chance to promote the organization in many events related to their programs. I participated on  Lost Rivers Walks; guided tours that play with our imagination. Highly knowledgeable volunteers guide people around Toronto showing the places where hidden creeks and rivers are; it was very rewarding to promote the walks because they are a free amazing experience where you can learn about history and environment at the same time.
I am proud to say that I gave my little contribution to their new website that is worth checking... so many new experiences, I helped in their Community Garden  I made signs for workshops and met very nice, helpful  good people that work because they are passionate and believe in what they do.
In addition to the work experience, I learned how powerful we can be when we are passionate about the things we do... my passion is Marketing, it challenges me...  And you what is your passion ? Think about and go for it!




           Volunteering in the Community Garden

Tuesday 7 May 2013

Never give up of your dreams!!!



Hi everybody!!!
 My name is Christiane and I have been travelling for a while. I am a Brazilian who loves being around the world. I have worked for many years in the travel industry, so I decided to combine my experience with my passion and create a blog that could answer some questions people have asked me for many years. Through this blog I want to share my experiences and learn from my readers as well. My goal is to help people who has the dream of travelling, visiting new places, learning about new cultures, but don’t know how to start. No matter the budget travelling is possible.

I will start telling a little about my life so you can understand how I ended up here.

My big and distant dream

When I was a little girl, 11 years old to be more precise, I had a dream a very far and impossible dream (it seemed impossible at that time), I wanted to live in the United States, visit New Jersey and speak English so I could understand what Bon Jovi (my favorite band in the world) said in their songs.
Well I was young  had no money, my father had his own business but the money he made gave us a comfortable life, but it didn’t mean I would be able to leave the country with his money, we had a very simple life and travelling was considered luxury at that time.

First thing to do learn the language...

By the time I decided to learn English, I was too young to go to School, so my sister-in-law, who at that time was only 15, but knew English very well, decided to help me and gave English classes for free. She was the best teacher I have ever had; what I learnt from her helped me a lot to get where I am today. After two years teaching me, she told my father that I loved the language and deserved to go to a school, from that day on my he supported me and paid my English studies for all his life…

Life goes on….

After graduating, when I was 18, I became an English Instructor and decided to study Tourism Management. I had fun and was happy, but something was missing. My dream was to live abroad, but I still didn’t have much money, I had to pay for my studies and the classes didn’t give me much.

New York New York


After finishing second year in college, I decided to take a break and pursuit my dreams… but how, if I didn’t have money?

One of my friends found out about the Au Pair in America program. It was cheap we could pay in many months, and it was a good deal, so I become  a babysitter, lived in a very nice host family home and I made some money, enough to travel around the USA and that is how I fulfilled my biggest child dream… but I never stopped travelling. After 13 months in the States I went back to Brazil finished college changed my career and started helping people in their trips. Giving advice, tailoring, buying and selling trips… and travelling the most I could.

Nowadays my home is Toronto, besides English, I am fluent in Spanish, I can risk Italian after studying  in Florence and I speak a little French... well basic French.

photos: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

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