… and a windbreaker, because it’s frickin’ cold. That wind blasts in right off the coast. Still, it’s mostly sunny and summerish right now. The streets are steep, with rolling cable cars bulging with tourists and the bell being pulled and the clackety-clack on the tracks. Everyone vanishes over the hill to Fisherman’s Wharf, where clam chowder and boat trips and sea lions on the dock await.

If you’re going to San Francisco
You’re gonna meet some gentle people there…

… and some crack addicts, if you linger around Union Square. Apparently homeless drug addicts are more prevalent here than anywhere else in the States. The SF Chronicle devotes an entire section of their site to it, with sensitive, illuminating articles.

Meanwhile. suits pace in the Financial District, shoppers bustle through markets selling herbs and teas in Chinatown, hipsters sip espresso and ponder life in North Beach, while tourists scurry to galleries in Soma and face the wind heading over the Golden Gate Bridge.

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there…

Really? I’ll have to look for the love-in. It wasn’t on my walk today.

All across the nation such a strange vibration…

The two major earthquakes here were in 1906 (followed by a gigantic fire) and 1989. Haven’t felt a tremor yet…

In The Art of Travel, philosopher and writer Alain de Botton notes that before we visit a place our expectations are unrealistically molded by images of it we’ve already seen in another context, either on TV, on postcards, in films etc. My impressions of San Francisco were thus founded on the following:

A giant, green, angry, scantily-clad man running up steep hills (Incredible Hulk). A deadbeat dad masquerading as a Scottish nanny (Mrs Doubtfire). A teenage girl from Russian Hill being rescued from the ordinary by her grandmother, who informs her that she is a princess of a small European country (The Princess Diaries). Privileged kids living by Alamo Square in a picture-perfect Victorian house (Full House). A lost soul leaping off the pier next to the Golden Gate Bridge (Vertigo).

Vertigo aside, I’m cringing at that list of ‘entertainment’.

What about you? Have you visited San Francisco? What were your impressions?

I’ve received so many entries already that I thought I’d post this edition a little early. Hope no one minds. This is also the first-ever Carnival I’ve hosted so please bear with me if there are any glitches.

Thanks to all those who submitted articles, there are some talented writers and great stories out there! The next Carnival will be hosted again here at the end of July. Submit your articles here.

** = my personal favorites

Thrifty Travels

• Annette Berlin presents 10 Money Saving Vacation Tips posted at Frugal Journey. **
• Mary Jo Manzanares presents A Dozen Money Saving Travel Tips for Family Travel posted at Fly Away Cafe.
• Dean presents Travel Around the World For Cheap posted at Mr. Cheap Stuff.

Travel Tips

• Nath presents Avoiding the Shower Menace: Tips For Travelers, not Inmates posted at Ubertramp.com. **
• Adam Hurley presents Travel Tips For Staying Safe posted at Vietnam In Focus. **

US Journey Articles

• Rickey Henderson presents Rickey’s Weekend Running Diary (Of Doom) about a weekend in Massachusetts posted at Riding with Rickey.
• 7 Days of Disney from The Beef Jerky Blog
• Jon presents Are We on Mars? posted at The DC Traveler. “Great place to visit, the Luray Caverns in Virginia, just an hour outside of Washington, DC.” [pics, video]
• Mary Jo Manzanares presents Experience the Japanese Tea Ceremony (based in Washington) posted at The Seattle Traveler.
• Lucynda Riley presents The Traveling Lucynda posted at Quietly into the Night. [pics]
• Madeleine Begun Kane presents Surmounting Marriage posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog. **
• Lydia presents The Outside World: Night Wonders posted at CovertEffect about a trip to Las Vegas
• Linda Martin presents Illinois River Memories posted at Country Kitchen Pantry.
• Meredith Mathews presents Take a Virtual Walk in New York City this Afternoon! posted at Lemonade Stand.

Asia Journey Articles

• Road to Issan and Road To The North from Art Thailand [pics]
• Mike presents Beer Cafes in Hanoi Vietnam posted at Travel Zulu. (Mike, I had this experience in Vietnam too! Classic!) **
• Sheila presents Press a button for refreshment posted at Perceptive Travel Blog about Japanese vending machines. **
• rfcheah presents 3 More Dives @ Redang Island (Malaysia) posted at The World Behind The Viewfinder. [pics]

Europe Journey Article

• Pickled Eel presents Sneaking a Kiss in Paris posted at Pickled Eel.

Photos

• Joey presents Alaska My Home posted at Hearts A Fire. **
• Adam Hurley presents Images From Vietnam posted at Vietnam In Focus.

Other

• Several hotel profiles were submitted which I don’t consider ‘articles’ but here’s a link to the Hotels of the Rich and Famous website if you’re interested in browsing flash hotels.

Ask Your Contacts
If you know someone in the industry, don’t be afraid to ask for help. They may not have much clout but will probably be able to point you in the direction of someone who has. Warning: don’t exploit your contacts. Asking for help once is okay, but doing so repeatedly will annoy them. Ask a specific question: “I have written [the article], and I think it might be suitable for [a publication] so who would you suggest I talk to?”

Be Targeted
Pick the publications you are interested in. Look at them long and hard. What is the average length of their articles? What is their tone? What demographic is their audience? What is their average age and income? Don’t just send your piece out to anyone or everyone. Focus on a chosen few, and make sure your article’s tone will appeal to their audience.

Do Your Homework
Now you’ve found some relevant publications, find out who the editor is, or the features or travel editor if it’s a middle-to-large company. Check the first few pages of the magazine for contact details, or call the company. Check the spelling of their name. Find out their email address and pitch your article, with a deadline so you can offer it to someone else if they’re not interested. Use the words “exclusive offer”.
If you hear nothing in a few weeks, follow up with a phone call.

Pitch Your Article Before You Write It
This can be preferable if your main aim is to be published, in case you’ve written your article but it doesn’t fit the publication’s criteria. Give the person a short synopsis (including your hook) and ask if they’d be interested. They may not commit outright, but you’ll be able to gauge their interest much better this way. They may also offer some guidelines to help you tailor your article to their needs.

Pitch With Their Needs in Mind
Don’t say, “Will you publish me pleeeease?” You have to sell the article: what’s great about it? How does it fit their audience? They are looking for ways to fill their publication with quality content. Show them you can help. Got some good travel pics too? Even better.

Don’t Get Disheartened
Editors are incredibly busy people working to tight deadlines. Many receive more emails than they have time to respond to, and some publications are simply disorganized. My first travel article was published without anyone even contacting me first, due to staff changes happening at the time.
If they make it clear they’re not interested, ask for some feedback. If you’re not having luck with the big players, try some smaller magazines or papers. Also bear in mind that many travel sections are left to employees to fill with sponsored junkets and it’s hard for outsiders to squeeze into the remaining space.

Make the Agreement Clear
When you hit the jackpot and they want to publish, get in writing the payment amount, the approximate date it will be published and when they’ll pay you. This varies from country to country but generally when it’s published you send an invoice with your tax details and the agreed amount (usually a standard per-word amount). If you haven’t been paid by the agreed date, don’t be afraid to follow up.

My First Travel Article

My first travel article was written and published in 2000. It was about my experiences living in Berlin for a year. The ‘hook’ (what made it current and fresh) was the mention of a new Working Holiday Visa introduced in Germany. I wrote the article, emailed it to a random person at a newspaper – probably through their website – and forgot all about it until someone rang me congratulating me on being in the paper.

Since then I’ve had many other travel articles published, from Europe to South America to Asia. Here’s my advice on how to write your own publishable articles.

1. Find a ‘hook’
A hook is something that makes your article current and fresh, like the example above. Has the country or town been in the news for something special lately? Is there an event unique to that area? Did you have an experience unlike any other? Open with that.

2. Write in your own style
Your writing style makes you special. Although you need to keep the tone of the publication in mind that you’re submitting to, don’t ‘disguise’ your natural style. It’ll sound forced and awkward.

3. Don’t stress, just write
Get it all out onto paper/the computer. Tidy later. Don’t fret over each sentence. You’ll never get it done.

4. Don’t recount your itinerary
No one wants to read ‘Then… and then we… and then we…” Start with a strong memory, and link your thoughts, but it doesn’t need to be in chronological order.

5. Make it vivid
When traveling, take detailed notes as you go so you don’t forget your impressions. Look around and get the details down. What was said? What was smelled? What was felt? Take photos of the unexpected: an amusing sign, an unusual meal. The minutiae make up your trip and will make your readers feel like they were there, too.

6. Get your thoughts straight
Before you start communicating, have a think about what you actually want to say. Did you have a wonderful time, or an awful time that ended well, or an unexpected time that was better than you could’ve imagined? Do you want to warn people, encourage people, educate people, entertain people? Figure out your aim first, so it comes through in your writing. Choosing a headline and introduction can help you focus.

7. Talk to locals
Fellow tourists are fun and often have good tips, but if you’re writing a travel article you need to talk to people who can share words of wisdom about their country. Are the locals poor, oppressed, healthy, happy, hard-working? Unless you’re reviewing a resort you’ll need to get out and meet people. It’s also the most interesting part.

8. Balance facts and opinion
Your thoughts alone are unlikely to be enough. What is the history of the area? The population? The culture? Likewise, a geography lesson can be dull. Add your impressions. It’s about finding a balance.

9. End with a bang
End as you hopefully opened: strongly. Don’t trail off with, “So I had a great time and recommend it.” What was your overall impression? Can you link it back to the beginning? I always try and add an event or snippet of conversation that encapsulates the tone covered in the rest of the article.

10. Give to a friend
Get a friend to check and read your article. Chances are, you’re so close to it now you can’t see any obvious oversights or errors. Take feedback into consideration, and certainly word counts, but keep your gut instincts in mind too.

Already written your article? Here are my tips on getting published in print.

Still, as Brand New Traveler points out in their weekly round-up of the best travel tales online, people who post their own articles don’t have a hidden agenda unlike some MSM. And it’s easier to start a conversation with the writer about their trip.

As a writer, it’s still best to be published in print if you want to get paid. As a reader, well, it’s fun to browse the web for treasure. I’ve been reading a few such articles which people are submitting to my first-ever Carnival of Travel Articles. In fact, I’ve had so many that I might put them up a little earlier than planned…

Some Great Travel Articles

• The NY Times’ Most Emailed Travel Articles of 2006
• 80 Days or Bust on Conde Nast
• Gorilla trekking in Bindi

I can only speak from the position of a Kiwi, but many Kiwis head to the UK on the two-year visa. Many don’t even know that similar visas are now available for Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and more. The visas are generally 1-2 years’ duration and include the right to work at least part-time while there.

These visas are awesome because they mean you can travel and earn money at the same time! Well, hallelujah!

Even if you’re over 30 it’s not all bad news. There are still visas available, and several are points-based depending on your college degree and work experience.

I’ve had two Working Holiday visas, one for the UK (two years, although I only stayed for one) and Germany (one year). I worked mainly as an English Language teacher, having taken a one-month course in NZ first called the CELTA, which is internationally recognized.

I’ll blog more about work experience overseas and how to get a job in another post. This post is mainly to share the good news that there are lots of overseas visas and you should start researching now!

Where do you want to go? Visit the website of that country’s consulate and check out the visa section. Find people who have lived there (Alabama, Arctic, someone will have done it) and ask them how they managed it. People love being asked how they did something.

Note: You will generally need to apply for visas before you leave your home country.

Depending on the country, there may be some red tape to wallow through first, so allow plenty of time. My visa for England took ages, because there were so many applicants. My German visa took a few days. My visa for the US wasn’t hard but I had to wait ages in queues to be approved. Be patient.

Note 2: There are organizations that can help you arrange your visa. Do a Google search for ‘organize visa for [country]‘. I have never used one so can’t comment too much, however I’m a fan of doing it myself because a) it’s cheaper and b) that way I know exactly what’s going on with my application.

Note 3: If you find that you’re from a country that sadly doesn’t have many overseas visa options, consider finding a job at a multi-national company and get an overseas transfer. Friends of mine have done this with great success.

Good, because I’ve just set up the Carnival of Travel Articles so you can submit something. I made the carnival monthly to start, but when it grows I’ll make it more frequent.

I was searching the Carnival website (a great way to promote your blog, if you haven’t tried it; there are loads of topics) for travel stuff but couldn’t find much so thought I’d set up my own.

Don’t be shy, submit today! Follow the link above for more details.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? How long would you stay? Get out a pen and paper and write (or type) your answers.

So many people think they are dreaming the impossible when it comes to travel. In the 21st century, it’s much easier and cheaper to get to places than it ever was, and there are so many people who have done it and can help you plan.

It’s cliched but true: don’t just dream it. What is the first step to getting to where you want to go? Do that first step now. You might be surprised by how easy it is.

Strapped to an aged washing machine as it reaches the peak of its spin cycle is how one might describe the 10+ hour bus trip across the Thai border to our destination in Cambodia. “The government don’t care about roads,” announced our guide Thea, shouting above the din and clutching his seat as we bumped, juddered, rattled and shook along the rocky main road to Siem Reap, home to ancient temples made world-famous in Tomb Raider.

How we (and the poor bus) made it in one piece I don’t know, but we did – in March, the second-hottest month of the year with daily temperatures reaching the brow-mopping late 30s. Tourism in South-East Asia peaks in the more sensible, cooler months of November to February, but we coped by taking regular swigs from giant bottles of water and the occasional Angkor Beer.

From the moment we crossed the Thai border and waited for our visa stamps, competing for space near the one fan in the room, it became obvious that Cambodia was going to be an extreme sort of place. Gambling is illegal in Thailand, so within metres of the border crossing Cambodia has placed a line of flashy casinos, as out of place as Paris Hilton in a $2 Shop. Beggars linger near the doorways hoping some lucky punter will toss any spare change their way. Trucks and motorbikes beep their horns and brakes squeal as rickshaws bearing junk are ferried across the busy intersection. Raggle-taggle shops lining the roads display signs in the mysterious, squiggly Khmer script.

Siem Reap, Home of Temples

Finally, after many butt-numbing hours, we shuddered into town. Weeks could be spent in Siem Reap inspecting all the temples, including pricey (think four American-dollar figures) chopper rides to the more remote locations. Elephants bearing tourist couples lumber round the temple grounds, and small children run after visitors waving postcards, scarves, water, fans and bracelets, calling: “What your name? Where you from? Ten postcards one dollar! You buy, lady?” They are cute, aggressive, wearying and heartbreaking.

The most untouched of the sites is Ta Prohm, an 11th century fortified city that sits crumbled and overgrown. The surrounding jungle has crawled through it over the centuries, overtaking it and encircling it with its roots, which now support many of the walls. But it is not just the roots that have taken over Ta Prohm: here begins many an enthusiastic commentary about Angelina Jolie, movie star and tabloid darling, who came to Cambodia in 2001 to film the action flick Tomb Raider. After witnessing the poverty in Cambodia Jolie began her humanitarian work, becoming a UN Ambassador and adopting a local orphan, the first of several (she recently adopted a Vietnamese boy).

Still, our female guide Alaan is a bit jaded by the subject. “You’ll hear most of the guides here talking about her instead of the temples,” she explained with a sigh. Despite the heat Alaan was fully covered, even with a hat and scarf. This was not just modesty, although we were encouraged to cover our shoulders and knees in temple areas; pale skin is coveted. Whitening skin creams are top sellers, and the pastier members of our tour group were greatly admired.

We moved on to the faces of Bangor, a monument built for the Khmer king in the 12th century with narrow passages and steep stairs (no indoor-outdoor flow) and 216 looming faces chiselled into the stone walls. It would have been an eerie spot if it weren’t for the hundreds of other people there, shoving past each other for the best pictures in the crowded heat.

But the one structure even a stadium full of tourists couldn’t dwarf is Angkor Wat. It’s the great-grandmother of all temples, one that elicits usual suspect adjectives like “stunning” and “majestic”. The time to approach is just before sunrise, and the sight is certainly worth heaving yourself out of bed for as you cross the moat and advance just as the purply light of pre-dawn reveals the temple’s silhouette, and the pink ball of morning sun suddenly peeps above it.

Land Mines and a Floating Village

Once temple fatigue had set in we were whisked to the nearby Land Mine Museum, a non-government organization set up by Aki Ra, a former child solider who continues by hand to de-fuse mines laid during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. He opened the museum to educate visitors and help land mine victims. A 19-year-old amputee who lost one of his legs in a mine blast showed us the different types of mines, the damage they cause and how hard it is for the unwary pedestrian to spot them in the ground. His eyes filled with tears as he told us there were still six million active mines in Cambodia, most of them near the Thai border. Wandering off the beaten track is not encouraged.

That evening we headed to the otherworldly sight of the Chong Kneas floating village, a set of bamboo huts that rise and dip on the surface of the lake depending on monsoon levels. Our boat drifted past locals waving as they cooked dinner, kids paddling in canoes and buckets and women desperately trying to sell us bananas and Sprite. Driving back to town after sunset we passed other tiny ramshackle huts on stilts with large families crowded around flickering lights inside. “Television,” confirmed Alaan, to our surprise.

Eating and Shopping

Siem Reap’s local market was a more light-hearted excursion with its abundance of silks, jewels, food, pirated DVDs and books, including well-photocopied Lonely Planets for just US$3 each. The cry “Lady, Mister, you buy from me!” followed us everywhere. Transactions were mostly carried out in US dollars, although officially the currency is the Riel.

A meal of noodles or fried rice would cost just a few dollars each. The national dish is Amok, a coconut-satay concoction with fish, seafood or chicken, served with rice. But more adventurous culinary options included frogs, snakes, catfish and water-beetles (crunchy and juicy, but not delicious, reported those who sampled them).

We ate out a lot, and the best way to get around was by tuk-tuk. Thea, our male guide, explained the pricing: “Tuk-tuk cost one (American) dollar. If they say more, tell me and I kill them!” I think he was joking. Tuk-tuks were fun and fast, if a little wild, whizzing along the dirt roads past locals snoozing in the shade. Things came to life more after sunset.

Cambodians enjoy their dancing and while there we caught two evening performances: traditional dancing, with golden costumes and slow, bendy hand movements, and some very cute dancing children performing at a non-profit restaurant created to raise money for orphaned street kids in Phnom Penh, Cambodia‘s capital city. There are more and more such restaurants, and hotels, being created to help the many disadvantaged people of Cambodia.

The Terrible History of Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh certainly was more hectic and rougher than Siem Reap, but is part of the tourist trail for its sparkling Royal Palace and the city’s harrowing tales of the Khmer Rouge, who took over the country in the 1970s and are thought to be responsible for the deaths of around two million Cambodians. First we were led through the S21 torture camp, which was formerly a primary school. Mugshots of hundreds of executed prisoners, men, women and children, stared blank-eyed at us and we heard stories there I will not forget.

Next stop was the extermination point known as the ‘Killing Fields’, which some may be familiar with from the 1984 Oscar-winning film of the same title. Thea’s brother and grandfather were murdered there so he left us at the entrance, where a tall building contains row upon row of human skulls grouped by age. We wandered around the gaping pits that were mass graves, stepping over scraps of clothing and, yes, human bones sticking out of the dirt.

Despite such recent horrors Cambodia is filled with stunningly beautiful sights, and with gentle and friendly people who are optimistic about their future while not forgetting the past or ignoring their present. It’s a fascinating place. Just take a cushion for the bus.

Shona travelled to Cambodia with an Intrepid group. For more information, visit www.intrepidtravel.com

To help the children of Cambodia, visit The Cambodian Children’s Fund website.

All photos © Shona Riddell

For more of Shona’s writing, check out her money blog Rich Minx.