If You Go to Tokyo, You Have to Play This Game

I just spent two days in Tokyo, and the most fun I had was playing "Tokyo Metro The Underground Mysteries," a game that sends you around the city by Metro to solve puzzles.

It took me three hours of hopping on and off trains, heading from place to place. I would not call the game a great way to see the city--although I did see some parts of the city I wouldn't have otherwise--because you spend most of your time underground;

Argentina Becomes a Normal Country Today!

Since 2010 (I think), Argentina has had an official exchange rate that was a complete fiction. You could not buy dollars at the official rate.

They Got Me Again: Second Time I’ve Ever Had Something Stolen While Traveling

Update five days later: in the post, I estimated how my behavior would change. Now I have some data. For one day, I was (irrationally) afraid to walk the streets at night. That's gone.

I am still taking my new phone out a lot less on the street, usually holding it in two hands and taking a look around to make sure no one is nearby first.

I have also started to feel less bad about getting ripped off as I've walked the streets day and night and frequently been within arms' length of someone else's phone.

Interesting Scam at Bogota Airport

I first came to Colombia 11 months ago, and $1 equaled about 2,000 pesos. Now $1 equals about 3,000 pesos. Since inflation has been low in the period, everything is about a third cheaper for me.

In the international baggage claim at Bogota's airport, I saw a money exchange. As everyone should know, money exchangers make their profits from the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell currencies. Airport money exchangers usually have a huge spread between the two. Suckers change their moneys at airports.

Trip Report: 23 Hour Layovers in Athens, Dubrovnik, Zagreb

I just flew an award that saw me fly four flights in four days between four countries.

Trip Report: 23 Hour Layovers in Athens, Dubrovnik, Zagreb

I just flew an award that saw me fly four flights in four days between four countries.

18 Things I’ve Learned from Three Months in Europe

Bikes exist with motors that are activated by pedaling. The bike share program in Madrid uses these bikes. You feel like you have a super power as each effort shoots you forward much faster than it should. I would love to have one of these to pedal around at home (if I had a home.)

Spain has the third most tourists in the world.
Finland is terrible at soccer.
I can walk 25 km (15.5 miles) comfortably, and then walking any further becomes hellish.

I’ve Booked Basically All of My 2015 Travel

I have a clear picture of where I'll be until about April 2016. Last week, I booked a flurry of awards, mostly with obscure mileage programs to lock in my dates for 2015.

I’ve Booked Basically All of My 2015 Travel

I have a clear picture of where I'll be until about April 2016. Last week, I booked a flurry of awards, mostly with obscure mileage programs to lock in my dates for 2015.

Bus and Ferry Information for Baltic Europe

I spent the last month traveling from Helsinki to Tallinn by ferry and from Tallinn to Riga to Vilnius by bus, spending about a week each in the capitals of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Ferries and buses are cheap, easy to book, and very comfortable in this beautiful part of Europe.

Ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn
Ferries are the easiest way to get between Finland's and Estonia's capitals, which are just 80 km apart across the Gulf of Finland.