Backpack the World

In the Wake of Captain Cook

The Bay of Islands
North Island, New Zealand

"Off the coast of New Zealand's North Island, more that 150 islands dot the deep blue waters, their tall Norfolk pines growing side by side with subtropical banana plants and fan palms. The area is world-famous for big-game fishing--author Zane Grey, a leading sportsman of his time, caught five marlin here in a single day, including a 450-pound world-record striped marlin. But the fishing-averse can have their own adventure, experiencing the bay of Islands as Captain James Cook did, with the wind in our hair and the flapping of sails overhead as you slip past hundreds of hidden coves and secret beaches aboard a schooner chartered in Paihia."

~From my "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" day calendar

Travel Links

Here is a good post from my other blog with tons of good travel info...

http://lauralai.blogspot.com/2005/03/study-abroad.html

Map it

I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've travelled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so that it will not fall down.

Quote

"You who have ever been to Paris, know; And you who have not been to Paris -- go!"

~John Ruskin

Websites

I found a website I really like for looking up hostels. It also has links at the bottom of the main page to help you plan your trip.

Here is a list of great backpacker websites from Backpack Earth , the most comprehensive one I've seen so far.

I've been trying to decode the eurail time tables. I guess I really don't know as much as I thought about them because I think it's all really confusing. Does anyone know if it's possible to plan a month or two ahead what trains your going to take from say Madrid to Florence? Also, is there only a supplement on trains if you upgrade? If anyone knows feel free to post in the comment section below...