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San Francisco

San Francsico

Litte history course.

Many of you  ask me this question!

Here are the contents of my best friend who will follow me during these eight months .... and is ready to 2 days of departure.

A pair of tongue

A swim suit

A summer cap and winter cap supporting rain and cold

A polar

A micro fiber sweater

7 tee shirts micro fiber

2 zippered pants to his knees to turn into shorts

2 shorts

4 pairs of socks mi

2 pairs of hiking socks

1 pair of warm wool socks

7 underwear

1 long sleeve shirt

1 short sleeve shirt

1 pair of jeans

1 pair of hiking boot

1 pair of jogging

1 anorak

1 micro fiber towel, 1 thermos, a Swiss Army knife and a cutlery set


First aid kit:

complete and prepared by a doctor of the Nice University Hospital specialized in advising travelers.

Mini toilet bag

Total weight: 12 Kg


As for accessories to be stored in a small backpack cabin luggage:

my camera and charger

My Netbook

my tablet, mobile phone, a wireless router and various chargers

headphones

3 SD card and USB key

3 travel guides for my first 3 countries visited

Whether one is a backpacker, or luxury traveler, all good plans to save some money are always good to take!
This can help to extend the circuit to have fun during your  journey or just to tie the best budget.
For me all economies on a trip of eight months will be performed a minimum of 1,000 Euros ...
Note that this page is not in any sponsored event (unfortunately!)

Plane ticket:
Apart from having 300,000 miles on your frequent flyer card, you better buy a ticket round the world via a specialized agency: tickets and tips will be unbeatable and much cheaper than if you go for a world tour purchase through an alliance Air or if you buy your flights to the unit.
I advise you to call in specialists like ZIP WORLD.
www.zip-world.fr

If you do not have a frequent flyer card, it is now or never to late to join the loyalty program! Those cards are free and allow you to earn "miles" every time you fly on an airline member an alliance. There are so far three major alliances: One World, Star Alliance and Sky Team.
Just adhere to all of the loyalty programs of a member company Air France for example for Sky Team, British Airways for One World and Lufthansa for Star Alliance and accumulate these famous miles when you buy a ticket to aircraft that is eligible. These loyalty programs are free. However the miles are valid in general for 18 months, however, extended every time you buy a new airline ticket ...
During my tour of the world, I make the link Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro by spending 15,000 miles earned on Aerolineas Argentinas previously. I only pay 60 Euros for airport taxes instead of a ticket ... 350 Euros minimum. An economy on the example of 290 Euros! Not bad right?
On a world tour you can easily accumulate about 40,000 miles! FYI a return trip in economy class on Air France Paris / Province - New York is 50,000 miles ...
So when you return from your trip you can practically leave! again for a great weekend or holiday!

Subscribe to a cashback website.
Cashback ("return money"), is the repayment of a portion of your purchases. Next merchants, the revenue can be calculated in two ways: either as a fixed fee or as a percentage fee of the amount before tax, excluding promotions and checkout postage. Visit the website iGraal. This site is reliable and cashback works. I can sponsor you if you wish!
 www.igraal.com

Hotel Reservations
If your budget allows you to sleep in a hostel, B & B or hotel in any category, choose the maximum of bookings on Hotels.com as on other sites generating cash back. Hotels.com is most generous cash back (typically 7%) and offers a loyalty program that allows for a free night every 10 nights booked and honored. (The value of the free night is equal to 10% of the 10 nights booked).

Take an example from 10 to 80 Euros nights booked through Hotels.com and iGraal, an expenditure of 800 Euros, so you save 80 Euros hotel night + 56 Euro cashback (calculated on a 800 Euros value to 7% ) a discount of 17%, or a gain of 136 Euros. Not bad!

However, if you book a hotel of the Accor Group, focus booking via the application I Graal monitoring Accorhotels.com booking site. By joining the loyalty program Le Club Accorhotels (also free program), you can easily earn points that turn the club into rebate check. This loyalty program is easy to manage (via application or website) and very generous if you stay at least one night a year in a group of hotel and if you stay a minimum of 10 nights.
http://www.accorhotels.com/fr/leclub/index-no-connect.shtml

Although the adventure and the unknown are important in a trip, being plan certain reservations of hotel rooms (mainly in large cities or popular tourist sites), purchasing attraction tickets or tickets airplane, bus or train can lead to great savings especially in developed countries (Europe, USA, Australia, NZ and Japan).
In fact the pricing policy of hotels is based on smart pricing (dynamic price) and identical to a plane, the earlier you book, the lower rate you can get,(most of the time those rates allow cancellable reservations mor odifiable with no charge). If your travel schedule is changing, no problem you can always cancel this reservation.

Also I suggest you book a hotel room on arrival (at least for the first night) saving you unnecessary stress and loss of time in a city or a new country.

Prefer however much as possible open tickets, modifiable or cancellable reservations toll

Vaccines and drugs
Make an appointment for a consultation traveler Infectious Diseases of the University Hospital at the service of your city.
This consultation is not reimbursed by social security, (for me 30 Euros CHU Archet Nice) but thanks to precious doctor's advice, adapted to the destination, length of stay, conditions of stay and the age of the patient, it will check your vaccinations and develop an immunization schedule (if needed).
Moreover only those centers are authorized to practice the vaccine for yellow fever. They also will provide you the international vaccination.
Moreover, even if these vaccines are not reimbursed by social security, the cost paid to the hospital pharmacy is much lower than pharmacies.

In addition the doctor will make you a drug prescription tailored to countries visited and many drugs will be reimbursed by social security and mutual

Credit Cards
A Gold Mastercard or Visa Premier is essential.
Today many on line banks offer Visa or Mastercard Free Cards Premier Gold. Personally I opted for a Visa card to pay with BNPPARIBAS. Indeed thanks to the numerous agreements with partner banks in international countries, I will use ATM for cash without commission in many countries I have planned to visit. The resulting savings more than offset the cost of membership (generally 4-6% commission is charged for each withdrawal from a country outside the euro zone) and also pay in cash, not with credit card (also allowing limit the bank charges).

Besides paying my train tickets or plane with my card, I will have a guaranteed change / cancellation of travel. Similarly, for my car rentals, no need to take damage and theft insurance of the lessor. Just set with my card to be covered.
It can also benefit from high ceilings payment to deal with all my purchases and compensate me post if Sinister provided you have paid for my trip with my card

A little fable full of wisdom, written by Henri Gougaud extracted from his book: "The tree of love and wisdom" I would like to share and meditate ....

Once upon a time, an unhappy man. You know, that kind of man who never smiles luck. It would have been nice to have a woman, comely and faithful.

Many were spent in front of his door, but none stopped. By cons, crows were all in his field, and foxes for his chicken coop.

If he played, he lost, if he was going to the ball, it was raining, and if a tile roof is clinched, sure of course, it was just when he was down!

In short, he had no luck.

One day, tired of suffering the injustices of fate, he went to consult a hermit who lived in the woods, not far from his village. I'll spare you the misadventures he met along the way, but when he arrived at the hut of the hermit, he was muddy, smelly, injured, in short ... way bit lucky once again. - Hello hermit, he then said, I want to ask you where can I find my luck, you who know everything about everything! - There is hope in God. If you have no luck, only he can know where to find it. Will see from me, I'm sure he will give you what you want! - I am going! Hi to you, the hermit! The man went on his way, looking for a chance to God, who lived in that time in a white cave on top of a mountain, above the clouds. On the way, as he crossed a forest, a tiger appeared to him.

He was so frightened that he fell to his knees, his teeth chattering and shaking hands.

- Spare me, terrible beast, he said. I am an unlucky, verily, I'm not edible! If you devoured me, probably a bone in my throat carcass trouerait you !! - Bah! fear nothing, then said the Tiger. I have no appetite! Where are you going now, you? - I'll see God up there on the mountain! - Wallet him my hello, said the tiger, yawning, and ask him why I lost appetite, before I die in! The traveler promised, then continued on his way. In the evening, arrived in a green plain he settled under a lean Oak. As he began to doze, he heard rustling the leaves on top of his head:

- Who is here? cried a voice he replied: - It's me, the Tree. I can hardly breathe. Check out my brothers on this plain, they are high and mighty, magnificent! I alone am sickly, and I do not know why ... - I will visit god, replied the man. I will ask him a cure for you! - Thanks traveler, said the sick tree. In the morning, the man resumed their journey. Around noon, he came to the mountain. In the evening, away from the path that climbed to the top, he saw an old house almost in ruins, among the rocks.

He approached the threshold, and looked in through the open door.

Near the fireplace, a woman sat with bowed head. She was crying.

- Why are you so sorrowful? Human demand. - God knows! Sighed the woman; - If god knows, said the man, do not worry, I will question! I have to go see it! Sleep well, beautiful lady! She shrugged, ... for a year her grief held her awake throughout the night. The passenger then reached the god cave the next morning. It was round, and deserted. In the middle of the ceiling was a hole through which light came down from heaven. The man came here.

- My son, what do you want me? Then said the voice of god. - Lord, I want my Luck !!! - Put me 3 questions, my son, and you'll have! She is already waiting for you in the Country where you came from! - Thank you Lord! So here are my questions: At the foot of the mountain, saw one wife, and not stop crying! Why? - She is beautiful and young, he needs a husband! - Lord, on my way, I met a puny Oak, from which he suffers then? - A golden chest prevents roots go deep look the soil they need to live. - Lord, in the forest, there is a strange tiger who said he lost his appetite, how to treat? - That he devours the greater fool the world, and health will return him! - Lord, good morning, and thank you! The man came down, glad, to the valley. He had no time to lose, because God had told him: luck was the country where he came from! On the way back, and saw the woman - Beautiful woman, he says, you need a husband! - Come on traveler! I like your face, be happy together! - Hey! I do not have time, I'm meeting with my luck! She is waiting for me, waiting for me! I have to go! He greeted the woman and went away laughing and frolicking. He soon arrived at the diseased tree: - A chest full of gold hurts your roots! Then said the man. - Men, said the tree, dig at him! You will be rich, and I will be released !! - Hey! It's that I do not have time! I have an appointment with my luck, waiting for me, waiting for me !! Then he left running, to the road where he found the tigr: - Good beast, he said, here's what you need to regain your health, you should eat more fool who is in the world! The tiger asked - how to recognize it? - I do not know, 'said the man. I can do no better than repeat to you the words of God, as I have done for the woman and the tree! - The woman? - Yes, the woman! She was crying incessantly, she was young and beautiful, she needed a man! She wanted me, but I do not have time! - And the tree? said the Tiger. - A treasure prevented him from living. He wanted me to deliver, but as I've already said, I do not have time, and I still do not! Come on, hello, I'm in a hurry !!! - Where are you going so hurry? then asked the Tigris.

- I go home! I'm meeting with my luck! She is waiting for me, waiting for me! - A moment! said the tiger. Tell me man, what is a traveler who is chasing his luck and leaves by the wayside a comely wife and buried treasure ??? - Easy, good beast! said the other carelessly. He is a fool !!! and upon reflection, I do not see how you could be more foolish than that foolish one! ... This was his last word.

© Cf: Tale of collection Gougaud: "tree of love and wisdom"

I hope this story will make you think .... and you believe in your lucky star as well, luck is within the reach of all

Passports, visas, international driving license insurance globe trotter ...

Aid kit, vaccines, backpack short .......... the list goes on, and finally requires good organization and planning!

End of January, my request for sabbatical leave has been accepted by my hierachy. After two weeks of reflection on my personal and professional future, the proposed world tour finally appears quite naturally. You only live once! It's now or never to realize this project, which was only a dream which was a pre project in my PC since my return from Thailand ... the end of 2007!

So let's go into the preparations late February:

First step, complete the round the world journey, prioritizing choices of the countries visited, the order, weather and season .... and a pre calendar.

From this initial planning, quote online simulations, via alliances companies and agencies specialized in the purchase of tickets around the world. Finally my choice is Zip World, Paris-based agency that will help me and advise me to complete my course by respecting a logic path in order to limit movement and optimize the budget.

Finalisation of the estimated world tour budget, expenditures expected during my absence because there will be no financial income for 11 months (less than winning the lottery or rob a bank ...)

I give notice to leave the real estate agency.

Mid March: the Zip team finalized the estimate and the order of flights, and I confirm  the purchase!

I take advantage of the weekends of April, the weather is not terrible in Nice (and yes for once!) To make the necessary raw hotel reservations or car for the first stage in California, I have continued to refine the program and the various essential points of the country I am visiting (but shhh! it is top secret, you will discover As the course ...).

Visa applications for the US ... an ESTA application is sufficient and demand is online. ESTA is valid for two years and having spent some time in the USA there are less of 24 months, I have only to do an update of my arrival address.

 My path

It also begins to address all administrative procedures, ticket termination Box, insurance, EDF ... and organization of the move and the sale of part of my furniture ... being tenant is ultimately more reasonable to sell a maximum of well over Nice and avoid costs of removal and custodial unnecessary furniture, the costs would be higher in twelve months the value of my belongings!

You get into the preparation of a blog, layout and content first ...

Buying a health insurance and international foresight, I chose with the World Zip advice, the Globe Partner insurance at a cost of 39 Euros per month and a backpack of 60 liters, to be my best friends during the coming months.

Last weekend of April tax return online ...

In early May, that's it the countdown is on! I took sabbatical leave is effective and we are Day- 45.

Meet at the hospital Nice bow on May 6 for a consulting business serving infections, and finalization of the list of pharmacy to predict. Indeed, being a "luxury backpacker" and not really an Indiana Jones! better make sure to have my vaccines rêgle and pharmacy adapted emergency first ...

Preparations

To be continued ...