Managing Money Archives - Learning To Travel

How To Afford Travel

Do you dream of travel but believe you do not have enough money to even take a vacation across town? Stop being frustrated and start learning how to afford travel to anywhere in the world your little heart desires.

Stop Believing Travel Is Expensive

“But it is so expensive” is usually the first excuse I hear when discussing travel and vacations with anyone. Most people say this before doing any real research into what a given trip would cost. If you are dreaming of spending two weeks in Paris then take some time to research flights, hotels, food, and attractions, and discover exactly what it would cost.

Don’t let any number you come up with scare you! Don’t say to yourself, “It is too expensive, I can’t afford it.”

Change Your Mindset – Change Your Life

Instead say to yourself, “So that is how much two weeks in Paris costs. How can I afford it?”

This is true of anything in life you really want to have that costs money. Switch it around in your head so that you begin to think about how you can earn enough, save enough, or do whatever it takes to afford your goal. It might take a month, a year, or even five years but when you begin to think like this you’ll discover that anyplace you want to travel to is within reach.

Save For Your Dream Vacation Later

Chances are you feel stretched pretty thin when it comes to your income today. You probably make just enough money to cover all your expenses leaving little room for savings or a vacation budget. This is what is known as Parkinson’s Law.

Parkinson’s Law states the demand of a resource (your bills) tends to expand to match the supply of the resource (your paycheck).

With this in mind begin saving for your vacation the next time you get a raise or find more income. This way you can maintain your current standard of living and eventually make those travels a reality.

So if you get a $100 a month a raise don’t change how you are living too much and put most or all of that money from your raise directly into a savings account designated for travel.

Seek New Income Streams

Instead of waiting for a raise try to find new ways to make money on the side, no matter how small they may seem. These days thanks to the internet there are plenty of ways to earn a little side money to put directly into that vacation savings without taking too much time from your life.

Take “retail arbitrage” for example. A fancy term for buying products on sale or clearance at your local store and then selling them on Amazon for a premium price. It is how Joyce and I completely paid for a recent two-week vacation.

There is a lot to learn about it and a ton of resources but this NPR story really sums up retail arbitrage well. For me, it has been the easiest and fastest way to make money on the side.

Also, consider driving for Uber if you have the time and the vehicle (be sure to consult with your auto insurance agent first). Or renting out a spare room on Airbnb, selling crafts on Etsy, hosting a garage sale, or sell thrift store finds on eBay.

Basically there are a ton of ways to make a little extra cash that you’ll only have to spend a few hours a week on. They can take time to learn but if you stay focused on the goal of your dream vacation I know you can find something that will work.

How To Afford Travel

Back to my first point… the most important thing to do is to know how much your trip is going to cost. Don’t just end the discussion with “travel is expensive.” If you really want to travel and vacation in that dream destination you can figure out a way. I honestly believe you can travel anywhere in the world within the next year. You just have to stop dreaming and decide that is what you are going to do.

It is worth learning how to afford travel because the best things in life are not things!

13 Free Things To Do In London

Managing Money

13 Free Things To Do In London

London, England, is a wonderful and historical city that makes a great vacation destination, there is a lot to see and do! Here is a shortlist of 13 free things to do in London that will give you a good starting point for planning your vacation.

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British Museum (britishmuseum.org)

Located in London’s Bloomsbury section, the British Museum was first established in 1753 and is committed to art and culture, and human history. The museum’s permanent collection includes over 8 million works, with some of the most famous being the large red granite statue of Amenhotep III (dating from 1350 BC), various artifacts from the tomb of King Khasekhemwy (2690 BC), the Rosetta Stone, sheet five of the Book of the Dead of Hunefer, and Parthenon Marbles from the Acropolis of Athens (447 BC).

Free except for special exhibits.

Take in the view at Sky Gardens (skygarden.london)

Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden with breathtaking views of the city, especially at night. The beautiful glass dome of 20 Fenchurch Street is one of the city’s most famous and stunning architectural sights and the building is home to exclusive restaurants, an open-air terrace, and observation decks. Entry to the Sky Garden is free, but guests must book their visit online.

Fenchurch Restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner (lunch hours are Monday through Saturday from 11:45am-2:45 pm and Sundays 11:45am-2:45 pm, dinner hours are Monday through Saturday 5:45pm-10:15 pm, Sundays 5:45pm-8:45 pm) and the bar is fully stocked.

Changing of the Guard (bit.ly/ChangingoftheGuard)

Taking place every morning at 11:30 am (local time) and lasting for 45 minutes, the changing of the guard outside of Buckingham Palace is a truly impressive thing for tourists and locals to witness.

Also known as Guard Mounting or simply Changing the Guard, this ceremony begins around 11 am when the Buckingham Palace Old Guard forms in the palace’s forecourt and is then joined by the St. James Palace Old Guard promptly at 11:15 am. Then the New Guard arrives from Wellington Barracks and takes over for the Old Guards in a formal ceremony.

This British custom can be seen for free every day from April until July and alternate days from August to March (weather permitting). Check website for any schedule changes or updates.

Queens Life Guard (bit.ly/QueensLifeGuard)

These free events give visitors a chance to watch a highly regarded tradition take place every day. Each day The Queen’s Life Guard leaves Hyde Park Barracks at 10:28 am on weekdays (9:28 am on Sundays) and rides to Horse Guards Parade passing through Hyde Park Corner and along Constitution Hill and The Mall. The ceremony of Changing The Queen’s Life Guard then takes place on Horse Guards Parade.

Check the website for updated times, schedule, and locations of the free events.

Old Royal Naval College (ornc.org)

This centerpiece of Maritime Greenwich (a world heritage site that is home to the National Maritime Museum) sits upon the site of the Palace of Placentia (Greenwich Palace), where two Tudor queens were born (Mary I and Elizabeth I), which was demolished in 1694. The grounds and several of its buildings are open to the public for viewing.

One of the most impressive areas of the college is the massive “Painted Hall” which is over 40,000 square feet of painted walls and ceilings that depict the accessions to the throne of William III and Mary II in 1688 and George I in 1714.

The site is regularly featured and used in feature films like “Patriot Games”, “Shanghai Knights”, “The Madness of King George”, “The Avengers”, “The Mummy Returns”, and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”.

Admission and walking tours are free, check with the visitor center for more information.

The British Library (bl.uk)

Officially the National Library of the UK and also the largest library in the world, the British Library was established in 1973 as it detached from the British Museum. Anyone with a permanent address can apply for a Reading Pass to read its huge volume of book collections, and there is also an Online Gallery where images of many of the books that reside at the library can be seen and read online. There is also an electronics collection (called “Explore the British Library”) and a Digital Library System.

In the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, there are a number of antique and rare manuscripts and books on display, including “Beowulf”, “Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, the journal of Captain Cook, Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”, “Nicholas Nickleby” by Charles Dickens, and “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf. There’s also an entire room that solely features the “Magna Carta”.

Be sure to register online ahead of time if you’d like access to a specific item.

Science Museum (sciencemuseum.org.uk)

The Science Museum of London is one of the city’s major tourist attractions, with more than 3.3 million visitors annually. The Science Museum does not charge admission, however, some temporary exhibitions may have an admission fee.

With over 300,000 items, the collections at the museum include the oldest surviving steam locomotive called Puffing Billy, a reconstruction of James Watson and Francis Crick’s model of DNA, a special exhibit “Glimpses of Medical History”, a new 3d IMAX Cinema which shows nature and science documentaries, and much more.

Platform 9 3/4 (bit.ly/Platform934)

King’s Cross Station is a major railway and underground station serving London and is located in the central part of the city, nearby to Regent’s Park, Kings Cross, Bloomsbury, and Somers Town. The station is also located next to King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground Station, on the Circle line, Metropolitan Line, Victoria line, and the Hammersmith & City line.

It’s also home to Platform 9-3/4, from the popular “Harry Potter” book series (and wildly popular movie franchise) written by J.K. Rowling. According to the books and movies, Platform 9-3/4 is where students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry enter the steam engine station that takes them on to the school. Us muggles must settle for a luggage cart going through the wall mock up. The nearby gift shop provides scarves for your chosen house to complete the perfect photo op. They will even fling the scarf in the air while you snap a photo so you appear to be flying!

You are free to use your own camera and there is zero sales pressure to buy a print (though available) from the gift shop. But you might wait in line for up to an hour depending on how busy it is.

Vauxhall City Farm (vauxhallcityfarm.org)

The Vauxhall City Farm is located in central London and is home to animals such as llamas, horses, chickens, ducks, goats, and more. They offer riding lessons, educational activities, and an escape from city life. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:30am-4pm and are closed on Mondays.

The farm was set up over 35 years ago as a way to educate the community and give locals a place to unwind from busy city life. Their other services include animal boarding, incubation, venue for events like parties, and filming and photo shoots.

Admission is free but groups larger than 10 should call ahead.

Watch the street performers at Covent Gardens (coventgardenentertainment.co.uk)

Covent Garden Entertainment is responsible for the street performers often seen in Covent Garden, London, and features performers and acts including stage acts, walkabout acts, daredevils, and comedians. Shows can range from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on what act is being performed.

Performers include Jack Wise (magician, sword swallower, ventriloquist), Rob Roy Collins (escape artist), Psycho Sam (performance artist), Reuben Dotdotdot (street acrobat), Ernesto the Magnifico (comedy stunt man), Bendy Em (contortionist), AJ James (“escapologist”, acrobat, compere), Lisa Lottie (hula hoop artist), Team Power Stilts (extreme acrobats on stilts), Steve Faulkner (street magician), Mr. Spin (juggling street performer), and Jason Maverick (award-winning entertainer).

As always, check the website for the latest details and performers.

Abbey Road

This main thoroughfare runs through Camden and Westminster and is part of the B507 road. It roughly runs northwest to southeast, cutting through St. John’s Wood. It is well-known for being on the 1969 Beatles album cover of the same name and for Abbey Road Studios.

The Beatles and other popular bands have recorded at the studio which is located at the southeastern section of the road in St. John’s Wood. The zebra crossing where the Beatles did their iconic album cover is a popular stop on the London tour circuit.

Hear Big Ben Strike 12*

Big Ben was previously named the Clock Tower and most recently was given the moniker Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to honor the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. It was completed in 1859 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in May of 2009. This British icon has come to be a prominent UK symbol and often used to identify London in films and photos.

The twelve strikes of the main bell have been used in many audio media sources, and it’s one of the things that visitors to London love to listen to. The twelve strikes are especially popular on New Year’s Eve, as it marks the beginning of the New Year.

National Maritime Museum (rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum)

Located in Greenwich, London, the National Maritime Museum is one of the largest museums of its kind in the world and is also the preeminent maritime museum of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1937 and its historic buildings form some of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.

The museum’s collection includes paintings like the portrait of Captain James Cook (by Nathaniel Dance), the painting of the “Bretagne” by Jules Achille Noel (c. 1859), the “Battle of Trafalgar” (c. 1805), and more. There are also many other collections, including oddities like miniatures, including “The Pool of London” (c. 1780), the “Royal Dockyard at Plymouth”, and more. Figureheads at the museum include Coriolanus (c. 1876 from the merchant ship of the same name), Royal Charlotte (c. 1824 from the royal yacht of same name belonging to Queen Charlotte), and Brittania (c. 1878 from the schooner “Brittania”).

Ten Tools And Tips For Dealing With Money While Traveling

Managing Money, Travel Tips

Money While Traveling

Whether you are going on a two week vacation or traveling Europe for five months how you handle money is important for both safety and staying on budget. The more my wife Joyce and I traveled, the more we developed a system that makes sure we always have money on hand but our savings are safe from would be thieves or scam artists.

I’ll break down a few things to do before you leave for your trip and then a few pointers on dealing with expenses while on the road. This is all based on the idea of mostly using cash when you travel. We like to use cash over credit cards because everyone accepts cash so you are always ready no matter where you find yourself.

Ten Ways To Deal With Money While Traveling

1. Open a separate travel savings account.

This is a good idea to help you save for a trip but it is also a good way to shelter your money if your debit card gets compromised. Your travel account is where the bulk of your trip money is kept and then you transfer small amounts as needed to your debit card account. Which leads me to my next money management tool…

2. Open an account for a travel debit card.

The Charles Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account is the best one we have found for travel. You’ll be using a lot of ATMs to withdraw cash throughout your trip and this card refunds any and all ATM fees plus has no foreign transaction fees.

Once in Mexico we were charged a $29.00 ATM fee and the Schwab card refunded that.

Don’t let its fancy name fool you, even though it is linked to an investment account you can operate the account as you would any checking account. It has been our experience that Charles Schwab Bank has excellent customer service with no sales pressure.

3. Withdraw cash based on your budget.

In order to keep things simple let’s say you have a $100 a day average budget for your trip. Withdraw an amount equal to $300 and you know that is what you are allowed to spend for the next three days. Compound any leftovers and you can splurge from time to time.

4. Keep separate amounts in different pockets.

The idea here is to keep a small spendable amount in one pocket and the rest of your cash somewhere else so you don’t flash a big wad of cash when paying for that $1 souvenir. It can also help when haggling on a price because you don’t reveal that you have more money available.

5. Backup credit card for unexpected expenses.

Whenever we travel we keep a credit card that we don’t use safely stashed away from the rest of our cards and cash. This way if our primary cards get lost or stolen we have a backup card to help us get back on our feet.

6. Understand the conversion rate.

Before getting your boots on the ground get your head around the conversion rate of the local currency so you always know what you are spending. I always like to know what is the equivalent of $10USD in the local currency, that keeps it simple and allows me to always have a gauge of how much things cost.

7. Get cash before leaving home.

This will depend on your destination but chances are your local bank can get you foreign currency without charging you any extra fees. We do this at Wells Fargo before we leave so that we can enter a country with that country’s currency in hand. As a general rule you never want to exchange money at an airport so this makes that easy to avoid.

8. Use ATMs not money exchangers.

You’ll always get a better rate from your bank than from a currency exchange. Cash machines can be found just about anywhere in the world, even Mogadishu has one ATM. But be mindful of ATM locations and do some reading up on ATM safety. Hotel lobbies can be a nice safe place for using an ATM to get money while traveling.

9. Keep backup USD cash.

This goes along with the backup credit card. Having one or two hundred dollars of US currency is just another safety net. Find clever, but not too clever, places to stash these bills. I’ve used the soles of my shoes, beat up old books, and hidden compartments in my backpack. This cash stash is handy when the ATM you find is not in service or the town doesn’t have power that day (we’ve experienced both).

10. Have a record of credit card and bank info available.

Write down the 1-800 numbers on your card and keep it some place safe so you can easily call your bank if something happens to your card. Email this information to yourself or use a service like Evernote to have an electronic copy available as well. Just don’t write down complete credit card numbers or any info someone else could use to compromise your money.

That is the basic outline of the system we have developed through our travels for dealing with our money while traveling. I hope you find these pointers useful and are able to adapt them to your own style of travel. If you have any questions I am not too hard to reach.

Booking The Perfect Hotel Online

Managing Money, Travel Tips

Booking the perfect hotel online.

Hotels are a big part of travel. And booking a hotel online gives you plenty of options to choose from.

Booking The Perfect Hotel Online

Sometimes the hotel is the destination and sometimes you just need a safe, clean, and quiet place to sleep before catching an early morning flight. For some travelers, a hotel is the place to kick back poolside and read a few romance novels and for some travelers a hotel is just the base of operations for days and nights exploring a new city.

Whatever style you’d like your accommodation to be and wherever you plan on going in the world this little guide will help you find the perfect hotel.

Just keep in mind that sometimes the best hotel is not a hotel at all and in this article I am going to share with you many options for finding a good night’s sleep while traveling that will go well beyond just booking the perfect hotel online.

Traditional Hotels

As soon as you start planning your vacation and you have a destination in mind you’ll want to begin exploring your hotel options. This is so you can develop a baseline and understanding of what hotel rooms typically cost. The longer you are able to look at a destination’s lodging the more you’ll know what you should pay.

For hotels this is pretty easy because in my experience the prices do not change as much or as drastically as airfare prices.

Where to start?

Begin your search using the website Tingo.com.

Tingo is a TripAdvisor service that has a few nice features when it comes to booking a hotel room. For example, on many of the rooms they offer what is called “Price Drop Refunds.” If the price of the room goes down after you book but before you stay then Tingo refunds the difference back onto your credit card.

Tingo will also price match if you find the room you booked cheaper somewhere else.

Because of these perks I feel Tingo is the ideal place to begin your hotel search.

Blind Booking

The next site I want you to search with is HotWire.com. This site is one that I’ve had a lot of luck with and landed some amazing hotel deals, especially at the last minute. What makes this site unique is that you do not know the name of the hotel until after you’ve booked it.

This can seem a little risky at first but I’ve never been let down. And usually after getting to know the hotel options in an area I am traveling to I can usually guess based on description and amenities what hotel it is I am being offered.

For the average traveler looking for a standard hotel room, these two sites will have you covered. Sure there are plenty of other websites out there but if you look at enough of them you’ll start to see how they typically offer the same results. That is why I stick with Tingo and Hotwire because Tingo has a great price guarantee and Hotwire can save you a ton of money if you are willing to book blind.

Now let’s go a bit beyond booking the perfect hotel online.

Bed and Breakfasts

Over the years I’ve really come to appreciate bed and breakfasts. Often they are the same price as a hotel but include a much better breakfast. This has been true everywhere I’ve traveled but sometimes they go by different names such as guest house or pensioner. Wherever you go B&Bs are an option worth exploring.

BedandBreakfast.com is the largest site on the internet for finding B&Bs around the world. Guidebooks and community visitor’s websites can also be a great source as well. And if you are out traveling don’t be afraid to ask around in restaurants and pubs, this is especially true in rural Europe.

BBOnline.com and BnBFinder.com are also worth a look too.

Don’t be afraid to call the inn directly and ask about price before booking. Often innkeepers are motivated to fill the house and might offer a better than advertised rate.

Alternate Lodging

For the rest of this guide we are going to take a look at alternatives to traditional lodging and AirBnB.com is a good place to start. My wife and I used it a lot on a trip in many places all over the world and always a great experience. In fact it was a lifesaver in Paris.

The service connects travelers with property owners who are renting out space on their property. This could be a spare bedroom or it could be a whole apartment or house. Breakfast may or may not be included but usually use of a kitchen is and that can save you a lot of money since you can cook your own breakfast with food from a grocery store.

If you have any doubts about using a service like AirBnB I recommend you take a look at their trust and safety page here.

Similar sites to explore: Wimdu.com, VRBO.com, FlipKey.com, HouseTrip.com, and 9Flats.com for places in large European cities.

Ready to go ever further beyond booking the perfect hotel online? Good.

Hospitality Exchange

In just about every corner of the world you can find people who will let you stay at their house or apartment for free.

It might be on their couch in their living room or a guest room over the garage (I’ve done both). Not having to pay for lodging is a great way to get more out of your vacation budget. And it is not uncommon for hosts to pick up their guests at the airport or cook them a meal or two. But also be sure to be a respectful host and do your part by bringing a gift, cooking a meal for them, or leaving the place cleaner than you found it.

These communities like to stress that it is not just about finding a free place to stay. It is about people across borders connecting on a very personal and real level.

If you are not comfortable with finding a place to stay via one of these sites they are still a great way to meet the people that live in your vacation destination in order to gain a true local experience. My wife and I have done this several times all over the world at it is always adds to our trip.

CouchSurfing.org – by far the most known and biggest website of its kind. It is free but there is a fee for verifying your location if you want to be a host.

HospitalityClub.org – not quite as polished and modern as CouchSurfing, in fact the site looks straight out of 1995, but you will find a thriving community of fellow travelers there. The site is free.

BeWelcome.org – a great site for connecting with travel minded people all over the world. Also free.
GlobalFreeloaders.com – I almost did not include this one because their website lacks organization and is full of bugs. But I thought you would want to check out another free site that has the goal of connecting you with locals all over the world.

Servas.org – one of the oldest organizations of this type and by far the most complicated in terms of getting started. You will need two letters of recommendation as well as be interviewed. And it will cost anywhere from $25 (student) to $85 depending on the type of membership you need.

WarmShowers.org – this community is for touring cyclists but still worth a mention.

Work Exchange

The next category of options we have is work exchange websites. This is where you as the traveler agree to do some amount of work in exchange for room and sometimes meals. These can be a great way to experience a community and really extend your travel time. Because if you take away the expense of housing AND food you really don’t need much money.

I know for most people the idea of working while on vacation does not make sense but I did not want to hold any option back.

wwoof.net – also known as “woofing” is the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms community. And the focus there is finding volunteer work on organic farms.

WorkAway.info and HelpX.net – both of these sites offer a wide range of work exchange options. Everything from carpentry to web design to child care.

All The Rest

This resource is designed to be a quick reference guide to finding a place to lay your head anywhere in the world you choose to go. It by no means covers ever option but hopefully you’ll discover one or two you did not know was available. After all booking the perfect hotel online does not always mean you are booking a hotel!

This final list is a quick rundown of other unique lodging options available to the modern traveler.

HomeExchange.com – List your property on the site and then begin browsing for like minded home owners and travelers around the world. You get to stay somewhere for free with the added bonus of having a house sitter for your place.

Like the idea of camping but not really into the actual experience of sleeping on the ground? Then glamorous camping, or “glamping“, might just be what you are looking for.

Glamping.com – this site offers a countless number of unique listings to get you outdoors in style around the world.

GlampingHub.com – another source to get your glamping on. Remember it is always good to compare both price and user reviews on various websites.

This should be plenty in setting your off on the right direction of booking the perfect hotel online!

Booking The Perfect Hotel Online

Athens and Ancient Greece

Destinations, Managing Money, Our Travel Stories

While we were sitting in France, planning this section of our trip, we had decided after Istanbul, we’d move on to Santorini, a place I’ve been wanting to visit since I saw that first photo. Since all flights passed though Athens and most had an obscenely long layover, we thought it would be worth staying in town for a few days to see some things.

We didn’t find the city itself impressive, but the Acropolis and related sites were certainly worth the visit.

Greek Acropolis — View of the Acropolis from near the Philapappos Monument

Being in Greece, you hear over and over about “the crisis,” and you can certainly see it reflected in Athens – lots of closed businesses, more graffiti than we’d seen anywhere, and a general feeling of depression and decline.

Around the Acropolis and Ancient Agora, the main tourist areas, however, things were upbeat and bustling. I did just recently read a BBC article that pointed to a 15% increase in Greek tourism helping the country to its first budget surplus since 1948.

We looked for other things to do aside from the archaeological sites and museums, but really didn’t find much. There is a well-rated outdoor movie venue with a view of the Acropolis, but being winter, it was closed.

We spent 5 days exploring Ancient Greece. I’d say you could do it in 2 if you’re a motivated siteseer. The pass for the Acropolis is 12 euro, is good for 2 days and covers not just the Acropolis but the Ancient Agora as well.

Here’s what we saw in our 5 days in Athens.

On and immediately around the Acropolis:

The Parthenon — And of course the Parthenon

In the Ancient Agora:

Greek Statues — Lots of Greek statues at the Stoa of Attalos

And elsewhere:

Soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens

There are even ruins in the National Gardens.

Yep, that’s me giving the track a test run 🙂

Istanbul Highlights

Destinations, Managing Money, Our Travel Stories

Some of the amazing things we saw in Istanbul.

The Basilica Cistern – the largest of the ancient cisterns under Istanbul built by the Byzantine Emporer Justinian I in the 6th century.

The Hagia Sophia was built in 537AD as a Greek Orthodox Basilica and held the title of the world’s largest cathedral for 1000 years. In 1453, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, it was converted to a mosque and in 1935 was converted yet again to a museum.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the “Blue Mosque”) was completed in 1616 and was the largest mosque in Istanbul. It is open to visitors and quite popular with tourists to Istanbul, so you can expect a line.

And last but not least, the whirling dervishes. We got to witness a Sema, this is a formal ceremony performed by Dervishes (Sufi Muslim ascetics) better known as whirling dervishes because of this dance.

And the baklava…if you’re in Istanbul, you should definitely have some baklava. You might associate this honey-soaked pastry with Greece and you’ll find it there too, but it is also a Turkish thing and in my opinion it is best in Turkey.