Travel to Cuba

Last week, Obama announced he will allow Cuban Americans to visit their families in Cuba without limitations.

"House and Senate lawmakers have proposed lifting restrictions that prevent US citizens from traveling to Cuba for tourism." Cuba's doors have been shut to the US for more than 50 years. Currently, the easiest way for Americans to travel to Cuba is through Canada.

Once a hot destination for American tourists, has become a mystery to most. Having these limitations and restrictions lifted could mean an influx of capital for the Cuban economy. Some Cubans are weary of this change and hope that their homeland isn't transformed into a touristy destination, with Starbucks and McDonald's on every corner.

Mind-Altering Trips

Take a trip, without breaking the law...

Bolivia: Coca leaves, legal in some countries of South America before actually being processed into cocaine or crack cocaine. When held against the side of the cheek (similar to chewing tobacco), gives a mild high, mouth-numbing, and sense of well-being. Used frequently to alleviate altitude sickness.

Fiji: Traditional kava, a root ground into a powder, is strained through a sock and creates a waxy, pinkish-gray tea. It's potent effects create lucid dreams; its liquid numbs and coats the inside of your mouth and throat.

Mexico: Temezcal, or "sweat lodges", is an ancient Mesoamerican ritual where participants lie on the ground of an adobe hut around a fire. Here, a shaman creates a steam with medicinal herbs like aloe, sage, and chamomile. Expect complete bliss from a one-to-three hour ritual, where the temperature can range from 90-120 degrees Farenheit.

Amsterdam: Marijuana, legal to purchase and smoke/ingest in Amsterdam's coffee shops.

British Virgin Islands: Magic Mushrooms, hallucinations and laughter seem to happen after these unpleasant tasting mushrooms are eaten. Body highs, introspection, intense emotions, and a distortion of time come with the bad taste.


India: Bhang, marijuana buds and leaves are ground into a green paste and cooked with clarified butter, spices, and milk and then added to traditional drinks or pastries.

Paris: Absinthe, banned in France for nearly 100 years until 2001, adds a higher buzz than other alcohol.

Vietman: Cobra wine, a glass of super-potent rice moonshine, served with the still beating heart of a cobra (yes, a poisonous snake.)

Mexico: Peyote, a very intense psychotropic, can involve 15-hour hallucinations and some vomiting. Many say its like "an encounter with God and can bring you to a place of total harmony with yourself and the world around you."

Brazil: Ayahuasca, tea brewed from the vine of the ayahuasca plant and the leaves of the chacruna (a shrub from the coffee family), is known to cure emotional ailments. The tea contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT) will give you emotional highs similar to Ecstasy, lasting from 2 to 5 hours.

**I am in no way promoting drug usage of any sort. I am writing about these drugs based solely on research...wikipedia & MSNBC of course :)
NOTE: DO NOT TRY THESE AT HOME, THEY ARE NOT LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES!!!

EU Allowing In-Flight Cell Phone Usage

European Union officials say that the number of of aircrafts that allow passengers to use their cell phones while in the air will double by next year

Last year the EU allowed the "safe use" of cell phones during flights. Currently there are 27 aircrafts from British Airways, Ryanair, and Portugals' TAP offer a pay-for-service to use phones while in the skies.

The United States still bans the usage of cell phones while in flight.

We already have to put up with listening to crying babies, can you imagine sitting next to someone gabbing away on their cell phone?

What's New in Europe this Year?

• Several Eastern European countries, including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Baltic States, have recently rid border controls for travel within Europe. Therefore, you can now travel country to country without stopping to show your passport. Switzerland is expected to join the bandwagon this month.

• Smoke-free trains are standard in much of Europe now. Smoking isn't allowed on trains in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Poland, or Norway.

• The biggest change is the European acceptance of Obama, expect friendly faces and lots of questions about him. 
  

According to Conde Nast Traveler, Europe's four rising destinations are:

• Cassis, France: The Côte d'Azur without the attitude — or the price tag
• Valencia, Spain: Cutting-edge architecture courtesy of Santiago Calatrava, a laid-back lifestyle at a fraction of the price of Barcelona and Madrid
• Cornwall, England: Miles of wild coastline with superlative surf, a new wave of top seafood restaurants
• Porto, Portugal: Excellent classic and contemporary cuisine in unpretentious settings, fine port and wine vineyards in the rolling Douro Valley

Traveling Europe on a tight budget? Visit Travel & Leisure's 13 Affordable Trips to Europe

SPRING BREAK!?

Frantic about Spring Break? Jealous of all your friends that are going to places that will send them home resembling a bronzed god or goddess? Then go to FareCompare, I've used this website for my travels around Europe and even for my next two trips to Miami this month. I'm a broke college student, therefore you can imagine the deals I've found using this website if I'm able to jet set around. Here are some examples of the super cheap flights I've bought using FareCompare:

• Athens, Greece to London: $230
• London to Amsterdam: $150
• Detroit to Los Angeles: $200
• Detroit to Miami: $150

*note: these tickets were all purchased during "high season" traveling

Chaitra is so happy she only spent $230 and traveled from Athens to London with all this crap!

Violence in Mexico

Increased violence in Mexico has led the U.S. State Department to warn Spring Breakers to be extremely cautious while there. The State Department travel advisory says, "The greatest increase in violence has occurred near the U.S. Border," but warns, "Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country," and "in recent years dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped across Mexico."

Traveling to Mexico? Read more here

Ryan Air, Pay to Pee?!

Ryan Air, an Irish airline and favorite to college travelers in Europe because of its super cheap airfare, is now thinking of charging its passengers to use the restrooms while in flight! A coin slot would be placed on the toilet door that would charge people a pound (roughly $1.43) to use the loo. I'll be sure to bring a few extra pounds before I fly Ryan, I wouldn't want the guy next to me to piss himself, or worse...