What Goes On Beneath the City? 9.14.11

Do you ever really wonder this? I do, but then I have been on three underground city tours in three different cities and then started looking into other underground tours in cities across the world. Most of the cities as we know them are built on a foundation of a maze of streets and hidey holes just beneath our feet. Some where the original streets of the city and some were for hiding things people didn’t want to know about: slavery, prostitution, gambling, drugs and alcohol. In the days of Prohibition, speakeasies were found in many undergrounds. Men could smoke, drink, play poker and take a woman to bed without fear of “the law” carting him away. There have always been secrets in the history of flourishing cities, but to find out what those are, you have to take a trip to where it all happened.

Why am I talking about this morbidly fascinating idea of underground tunnels and illegal activities? For one, it’s pretty amazing and the history can be better than you imagined, but for another, it’s a fun way to learn about a city from a different perspective and also do it on a budget. I have a long list of destinations that have underground tours that I want to visit. Most tours are a few hours in length, show you a whole new view of a place and also don’t break the bank. Usually they cost under $20 per person and are a fantastic way to learn new things about your destination, get some much needed exercise in and can be a little spooky, too. Why not get your heart racing with one of these tours, especially with Halloween just around the corner.

The three tours I have been on have been somewhat close to where I live. Several years ago we visited the Pendleton Underground Tour in Pendleton, Oregon. Not only is the original brothel still standing and in good repair, but your tour group goes right through it and learns cool things, like why the kitchen has pressed tin tiles on the ceiling, how false walls keep you out of jail and how a woman can attract a client when there are so many girls to choose from. Go underground and see actual artifacts from when Hop Sing was a clothes launderer and original speakeasy and learn what else went on in the underground passages. Did you know that Pendleton was the first city to have electric stop lights? I didn’t. I loved this tour and will be taking Eric to do it sometime in the next year. (Cost: $15pp – 90 minutes)

The second tour I went on was in Seattle. Seattle is famous for its underground tour, though I’m not sure why. I was quite excited to check it out, but I was highly disappointed when I went, because they use their tunnels as storage facilities, making it hard to envision how it must have been in its heyday. My husband said when he went on a tour there it was really fun and interesting, so possibly I didn’t get the full experience. I don’t remember my guide being upbeat and enthusiastic, as he did his, and that can really make all the difference. (Cost: $16pp – 90 minutes)

Last weekend we decided to finally check out the Shanghai Tunnels under Portland. It was featured on Travel Channel’s 10 Most Haunted. Though it came in at number 10, it was the only Portland site to make the list, so by simple reasoning, it must make it Portland’s most haunted site. I was disappointed that I didn’t experience so much as a cold breeze, nor did I catch anything on my camera, unless you count dust particles catching the light of my flash and presenting themselves as “glowing orbs”. I was really just excited to go down into one of the grates in the sidewalk that most people have lifts in and use for storage. I’m weird maybe, but still, it was some sort of goal. I hadn’t actually been to the tunnels before, because it was supposedly really dark and you needed to bring your own flashlight. I’m afraid of the dark and also of ghosts, but the tour has changed and even though it was dark and a flashlight was provided, I almost didn’t even need one. We learned some pretty cool stuff about kidnapping unsuspecting victims and holding them captive until they could be sold to boat captains as crew (this was know as “shanghaiing”). (Cost: $13pp – 90 minutes)

While we were enjoying pizza at one of my favorite places in Portland (that would be Old Town Pizza, for those that love a good pie) I got to thinking about other places that have underground tours and cities and which I’d put on my list to tick off when I got the chance. Here’s what I came up with.

Paris Catacombs – This is absolutely #1 on my list of must-see underground tours. While usually crowded and full of dead people, it’s super unique and steeped in history. If the walls could talk…well, then I would probably scream and flee in terror. Since they can’t (thank goodness) the map and signs will tell me everything I need to know. Bones of those riddled by disease, taken out in the revolution or sentenced to the guillotine all rest here. I’ll remember to make my reservations early, because lines can be super long and I’m not up to hanging around when I could be doing something else more fun. (Cost: $11pp – 45 minute self-guided tour. Skip the lines with a Paris Pass.)

Berliner Unterwelten – In a Berlin train station, you can enter a door that leads to a secret Nazi hideout. Well, it’s not really a secret anymore and those Nazis probably aren’t around anymore either. In WWII, the hideout was used as an air raid shelter and housed secret bunkers and escape tunnels. While part of Germany’s sad history, it’s still a pretty cool piece of history that shouldn’t be forgotten. (Cost: $13pp – 90 minute tour)

Mercat Tours – Amid all the Scottish ghost stories comes yet another buried under the South Bridge in Edinburgh. A storage space used by merchants became a place for murder victims and other illegal activities in the 1700’s. Historical? Maybe. Creepy? Definitely! Many sightings have been reported in these tiny passages, which might sound more appealing to me now than when it actually comes time to visit them. (Cost: $12 – 75 minute tour)

Central Park Underground City – There's so much to see in New York, but here's another cool thing to add to your list. Conspiracy Theorists love to talk about the "Manhattan Project". Maybe Hitler really did hide out there or the government stashed the Roswell aliens in it or Czar Nicholas III and his family escaped execution there. Maybe none of that happened, but you can still tour the underground city where there are over 60 miles of roads, an underground lake and the second largest telephone exchange in the U.S.  (Cost: $20 – 60 minute tour)

This is by no means a complete list of all the underground tours across the world. There are ones in Vienna, Roma, Naples, Jerusalem and even Seoul. Look for ones in the cities you plan to visit and enjoy a new way to see the city while saving money at the same time. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture the unseen parts of your destination, and possibly a ghost. Have you done any of these tours? What did you think?

Guess what? I have another fun post on the Ebates blog. Need some more help with your packing light prowess? Well, I've got 5 useful tips for you to help you pack small and enjoy big savings! Tell me what you think!

While you're there, go check out the Savvy Living Community whee I'm a savvy travel leader. You can connect with me and 15 other awesome bloggers that blog on various topics, start fun discussions and engage members is live chats on whatever is hot that week/month. You can check out one of my current open discussions on Packing Light Obstacles.

Live and Learn: Cancun 9.10.11

Do you feel like you haven’t learned anything useful lately? Well, not to worry. I’m here to pass on my hard-earned wisdom gained on my travels. This time, we look at my trip to Cancun, which was the first time I’d gone to touristy Mexico city. I can’t say I got the full experience, because we got there in the middle of a rainstorm that turned into a tropical storm, so much of our week there was spent in on and off pouring rain. Fun! Seeing as I am not really a lay on the beach and do nothing kind of person and live in Oregon, where it rains about half the year, I really wasn’t too put out by this, but it did teach me several things, as did the few days of sunshine we had before going home.

The view from our room most of the trip

Umbrellas are useless – If it’s really raining outside, your umbrella is not going to help you. In fact, after a time I just closed it and attached it to my bag, because not only was I still getting soaked, but I also didn’t have any hands free and I couldn’t see where I was going either. A better choice, which I have since implemented in all my travels, is a packable rain jacket. You actually will keep dry, have your hands free to get change or whatever else you need to use, can keep things in your zip-up pockets and can also wear your day bag under it – assuming it isn’t huge – and keep you money, phone and other belongings from getting totally ruined. On top of that, a packable jacket is easily to carry around, because it packs small, and you won’t look like a drowned rat when you get to where you’re going…even after being passed by three totally packed buses.

The bus only takes US dollars (not change) – Even though you can use American money pretty much anywhere, the bus will NOT take U.S. coins. Have your pesos at the ready or dollars, but don’t try to give them quarters, because they will yell and kick you off the bus. Apparently, they are on a schedule.

Bring a flashlight to the pyramids – This probably isn’t an issue anymore, at least in Chichen Itza, where they don’t let you climb the pyramids anymore. If you do travel to a destination that has pyramids that you might get to climb, toss a small flashlight in your bag, because the inside of the pyramids are dark. Like you wouldn’t know this, but they don’t have lights set up for visitors, nor are there handrails and the steps are super steep. Climbing up the inside of the big pyramid was one of the most frightening things I’ve ever done…and then climbing down was even worse! Unfortunately, we did the inside before the outside and were so glad we didn’t fall and die that we didn’t take advantage of getting to climb to the top and see the view.

Totally beautiful!

Take your bathing suit everywhere you go – You never know when you might want to go for an impromptu swim. On our trip to Chichen Itza, we also stopped at this lovely little oasis that was an cavern with a natural freshwater pool. We hadn’t been made aware of this stop on our trip, so we didn’t bring along our swimsuits or towels. It was still beautiful to hang out near, but not as fun as it looked like most everyone else was having. It was especially hot that day, too, so it probably would have been really refreshing.

Don’t wear flip flops in the rain – This is probably something everyone else already knows, but if you don’t, know that during hurricane season, it’s highly possible that the rain will turn into a monsoon and water can come up past your ankles. It’s why the curbs are so high in the city. It’s better to wear some type of shoe that’s good in the water…or else risk going back to your hotel with only one flip flop or getting hit by a car because you can’t run across the street in foot high water.

Go on the Jungle Cruise – There’s no real reason for this. We didn’t go on it, but every other person we saw asked us if we wanted to go on the cruise and I wish we had done it, because it sounded really fun. Unfortunately, the only time someone asked us when it was convenient was on our last day in the early evening and we were leaving too early to go the next day.

Reapply sunscreen – I can’t even stress this enough. Even though the sun doesn’t seem that bright or you think you haven’t been out very long, the sun in Mexico is crazy strong and will burn you in a heartbeat. In fact, I reapplied in the 3 hours we were at the beach and still got the second wickedest sunburn of my life. Eric had to pay $8 for a bottle of aloe vera gel and slather it my burny skin just so I could leave the room. The longer I was out of the sun, the redder I became, until my skin was purple. I could barely wear clothes (which is why it’s always a good idea to bring some loose-fitting duds or a sundress) for a week after. Fortunately form me, this was also the day before we left and we were staying at an all-inclusive resort, so we didn’t actually have to go far for food or entertainment.

Don’t look like a grape or a lobster! Bring your bottle of sunscreen with you everywhere and generously reapply throughout the day. If you need help remembering, purchase some Sunsense UV Bands which you put on, put on your sunscreen, making sure you cover the band as well, and the band will turn colors when you go out in the sun. Once the band color fades, it’s time to reapply. When it changes colors again, it’s time to go inside. Easy!

Guess what? I have another fun post on the Ebates blog. Need some more help with your packing light prowess? Well, I've got 5 useful tips for you to help you pack small and enjoy big savings! Tell me what you think!

While you're there, go check out the Savvy Living Community whee I'm a savvy travel leader. You can connect with me and 15 other awesome bloggers that blog on various topics, start fun discussions and engage members is live chats on whatever is hot that week/month. You can check out one of my current open discussions on Your Travel List:

.

Review: ExOfficio Give-N-Go® Lacy Undergarments

If you’re a loyal reader or follower on Facebook, then you have heard me talk at length about my love of ExOfficio clothing and accessories. My husband and I could simply live in their dryflylite shirt series. With so many different styles and colors, you always look great and have something for any occasion. So, you can only guess how excited I was for the folks at ExOfficio to offer me a pair of their pretty new Give-N-Go® Lacy underwear to review. Seeing as how I also have a matching Give-N-Go Lacy Tank, I figured it would be a great pair to review together.

Give-N-Go Lacy Full Cut Brief

Often, I am not a fan of full-cut panties, simply because they can be unflattering and give you panty lines. Attractive! Instead of going for the low-rise bikini or even the thong options, I decided the true test of ExOfficio’s women’s line would be the full-cut brief version. I was actually really surprised by them when they arrived, because not only were they pretty (both of my pieces are the light grape color you see in the photos), but when on, they actually did give you full coverage and fit a bit more like a boy short, so they don’t roll down your stomach and no VPL! So far, so good! The other thing you have to know is how lovely the fabric feels against your skin. I have worn both pieces out during the day (under clothing, of course) and also have worn them to bed as pajamas. The pieces fit your curves in just the right way, have a bit of stretch, feel silky inside and out and always feel cool to the touch. I don’t know how that is, but I suspect that the moisture-wicking property of the fabric has something to do with it.

Give-N-Go Lacy Tank Top      

Not only does the Give-N-Go line keep you from sweating, but the fabric (94% Nylon and 6% Lycra Spandex) is thin and durable, quick-drying and odor-resistant. Who doesn’t want odorless panties? Because when you’re tromping through the heat, you still want to feel fresh and clean.

Now, when you’re on the road or even in a hotel room, you sometimes find that you need to do laundry where there are no facilities, so hand washing in the sink comes into play and you HOPE that everything will be dry in the morning, so you can either pack it to go home or wear it the next day. All ExOfficio undergarments come with the saying: “17 countries. 6 weeks. One pair of underwear. Okay, maybe two.” This is a big claim for the durability and quick-dry ability of one pair of underwear. Fortunately, they can back up their product, because after washing these by hand, wringing them out and hanging them up, they were dry and ready to go the next morning…and probably could have been put back on a few hours later. The same with the tank. I’ve had cotton thongs that were hung up to dry and still slightly damp eight hours later. You can seriously buy two pairs of ExOfficio underwear, throw them in your bag and alternate wearing and washing them as long as you travel. They make packing light even more simple!

Give-N-Go low-rise bikini, bikini cut and thong

I know I wasn’t asked to review the men’s underwear as well, but my husband has an entire drawer full of ExOfficio boxer briefs and he is not one to want to spend good money on many things. After trying out a pair I bought before a long trip we were taking, he immediately bought another three pairs. Each time there is a sale, he buys more to replace other underwear that aren’t ExOfficio and throws them out. In fact, he’s bought and thrown out underwear that have worn out in the time he’s been wearing the ExOfficio boxer briefs that still look brand new! We keep several pair in the travel bag at all times, too. On trips, they wash well and dry quickly, plus the moisture-wicking quality makes chafing a thing of the past! I think it really speaks to the quality of a product when a customer goes back to purchase more time and again. Below are just some of men's styles they carry.

Give-N-Go brief, boxer brief, boxers

So, the durability and pretty look of the lacy Give-N-Go undergarments for women get a big thumbs-up from me. The fact that they are comfortable, “Technically Sexy” and don’t ride up are also big pluses. I will definitely purchase several pair for travel and home and highly recommend them to you. We can also recommend the men’s line for male travelers, too, for comfort, look and endurance.

Where to buy ExOfficio Give-N-Go® Lacy Undergarments:

ExOfficio.com

Your local ExOfficio or outdoor store (i.e., REI)

You can also find these other colors and styles:

            Lacy Bikini cut

            Lacy Low-rise bikini cut

            Lacy Thong

            Lacy Tank

            Lacy Shelf-bra cami

            (non-lace options also available)

            Available colors: agave, black, light grape, light turquoise, nude and wine

            $18-20 for panties, $30-38 for tanks and camisoles

(I was provided with a complimentary pair of Give-N-Go Lacy panties for this post, but the opinions are 100% my own.)