Tips

Is French West Africa Expensive as a Traveler?

by phil May 26, 2011 Tips
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Many of the countries in West Africa are former French colonies. The currency used in these countries is the FCFA (Franc Communauté Financière Africaine), more commonly known as the CFA (pronounced seefa). Tied to the Euro at a rate of roughly 640 CFA to 1 Euro, the CFA currency is often cited as the main [...]

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How to Enjoy Possibly Unreasonable Trips on Public Transportation

by phil April 22, 2011 Tips
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Riding in a tro-tro is kind of like wearing a straight-jacket in a sweat lodge. As a twenty-five year-old, I regularly feel arthritic after a trip in one. Overflowing with perspiring bodies and sometimes animals – both live and dead – tro-tros are also home to otherworldly aromas. You may find that the person to [...]

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A Few Ways to Make Money Freelance Writing and an Update on Cote d’Ivoire

by phil April 11, 2011 Tips
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Over on How to Draw Camels, 100% of profits are now going towards social enterprises in West Africa. Originally, it was 50%. I planned on using half the money to assist with travel expenses. But it wasn’t like I was raking in cash selling camel drawing ebooks, and now I am making enough money elsewhere. [...]

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I Haven’t had a “Job” in 8 Months and That’s OK

by phil March 9, 2011 Tips
my first year teaching

The last day I worked a conventional job was sometime in late June 2010. It is now March 2011. I don’t have a lot of money. I traveled for six months last year and I recently bought a one way plane ticket back to West Africa. How is this possible? 1. I saved money for [...]

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How to get a Cheap Plane Ticket from the US to Africa

by phil February 17, 2011 Tips
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Instead of beating you over the head with West Africa music posts, I’m going to break up the series a bit. This post will be about finding flights to Africa (just in case that is ever on your agenda) and my next one will be about some of the people that will be in my [...]

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Review of Hotelcalculator.com

by phil February 7, 2011 Tips
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This post is a paid review. Hotelcalculator.com approached me with an offer to review their site. They did not, however, pay for a particular opinion. What follows is my experience using the site. HotelCalculator.com is an aggregate search engine for hotels. You enter your destination, date of travel and number of guests and then receive [...]

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