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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1311011-Porthole/day/12-29-2019
Rated: 13+ · Book · Personal · #1311011

A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life.

Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.

Ferry boat between Solvorn and Ornes across the Lustrafjord i Sogn og Fjordane.



My new new new blog is
 
BOOK
ในสวนของเลียม Open in new Window. (13+)
In Liam's Garden, a personal journal
#2338942 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
.

I'm starting a new blog because
BOOK
L'aura del Campo Open in new Window. (13+)
Online journal capturing the moment and the memory of moments. A meadow meditation.
#982524 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
had over 1,200 entries and that was getting close to full. I don't want to trim it by deletion. I did that once, much to my dismay. Will be used more for poetry.

BOOK
Hoarfrosts from Hell Open in new Window. (GC)
Anything I'm not happy about or that I don't want in my main blog!
#997339 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
is still hidden from the public and will remain so. It's more personal and full of angst. Was used for 30DBC for May 2020 and now used for Blogville.

BOOK
Enga mellom fjella Open in new Window. (13+)
Enga mellom fjella: where from across the meadow, poems sing from mountains and molehills.
#1317094 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
was full... until the number of entries was increased. A mixed blog, mostly stories.

I'll be linking to
BOOK
On The Write Path Open in new Window. (13+)
ON THE WRITE PATH: travel journal for Around-the-World in 2015, 16, 18.
#2032403 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
as I need to post there about my travels.

 
BOOK
O Pinions! Open in new Window. (XGC)
May my opinions gather wind under their wings and fly, perchance to soar.
#1501776 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
is for my opinions. *Laugh*

BOOK
Nurture your Nature Open in new Window. (13+)
Look around. Let Nature nurture your Soul. I record images I sense and share them here.
#1439094 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
was set up for nature observations and musings.

 
BOOK
Watt's Gnus Open in new Window. (18+)
On topics and today's gnus. Definitely opinionated. Set to 18+ for a reason.
#1439092 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
come out of a need to share interesting stuff I come across. When I was young I did a small newsletter named as such. (or was it column in the newsletter? Been 30 years... I think.)

 
FOLDER
Flash Fiction Open in new Window. (GC)
Short 300 word, more or less, "stories" .
#2190336 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
is where I put my flash fictions. Maybe someday I'll figure it out and have enough good ones to publish. Ratings vary and some are hidden from view.

I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
STATIC
Space Cadet - the never ending journal Open in new Window. (18+)
Journeys of an Alien Space crew.
#2226611 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon


I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
 
FOLDER
Conquest ... to keep track of contests Open in new Window. (ASR)
A place to keep track of in progress works and up-coming deadlines as well as any awards.
#2233119 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
(also very messy!) *Shock2*

 
FORUM
Blogville  Open in new Window. (XGC)
Where bloggers meet and greet to read and share. No required prompt. Alias: blogville.
#2253938 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
is for posting personal blog entries in hope that folks will comment and post their blog entries there as well. I will be commenting on all blog entries posted. It's my effort to rebuild a blogging community.

BOOK
Bibimbap 비빔밥  Open in new Window. (13+)
Left-overs piled on hot rice and mixed.
#2296648 by Kåre เลียม Enga Author IconMail Icon
an E blog focusing on food and culture. Easily digestible for the Queasy and Questioning.

December 29, 2019 at 7:45pm
December 29, 2019 at 7:45pm
#972207
Cubby Author Icon may be going to Texas. I responded:

Under $40/night is a steal anywhere in the USA. *Heart*

I'll be in Spain/Portugal in March/April because prices of flights were cheap and it's off-season so I won't pay high prices for lodging either. Madrid, Bilbao, Lagos and Porto <$20; Lisbon <$15. Tunisia may be a problem if I go there as Tunis is expensive but maybe Tazarka or Sousse. Morocco can be <$10 if one chooses wisely (Chefchouen, Tangier, Fes but Casablanca is expensive!). My stays are dependent on price. Some cities are out of my range.

My next trip, in two weeks, is Taiwan. Lots of places under $15/night.

I want to visit Kentucky someday... hard to find anything under $50... in the entire state. *Sad*


It's truly expensive to travel in the USA. Trains go very few places outside of the East and West Coast corridors and Chicago. Buses are no longer cheap. In 2007 one could travel coast to coast for $99, and there was a way one could buy a ticket to travel for a month or two. No longer.

Bus to Minneapolis for January 6th: $201 and 23 hours. ($118 on January 23rd)
On Alaska to MSP; $288 on January 6th, 7 hours indirect. ($149 is cheapest on Jan.23rd).
Train... there isn't one.

The cheapest bus to Miami Florida is $173 and 72 hours. By plane? The fastest (with American) at 8 hours (2 hour layover in DFW) is $289; a longer 16 hour flight ( 9 hour layover) costs only $175. I can get from Helsinki via Lisbon (5 hours and 9 hours) to Miami for $354 on January 22nd.

A direct 2 hour flight MAD (Madrid) to (TUN) Tunis is $97 on January 23rd (with Air Europa)
A direct 4 hour flight LIS (Lisbon) to (OSL) Oslo is $144 on January 23rd (with TAP) There's an indirect flight for $72 on the 22nd.

And lodging? See my comments above!

In Hualien, Taiwan for 4 nights I can stay in the Cave Hostel for $38 for 4 nights. It has a rating of 8.8 on booking.com. It's about 1/2 mile from the train station. There are higher rated hotels closer at less than $50/4 nights.
In Missoula, Montana for 4 nights on the same dates it costs $182 at a Motel 6, rated 7.9, out by the airport, over 3 miles, a long walk from downtown. The Motel 6 in the center is $228 and has a miserable rating of 6.9.
In Norway, there are 57 assorted places with beds under $50/night on the same dates. In Montana 27; In Mississippi 41; Texas has many around $120/4 nights if you can get to them.

Taiwan has 3,564 under $55/night. Australia, 467; Canada 678; USA? 1,094. Booking.com only lists under $55. Georgia the country has 7,748. For $82 I can stay the whole month at Indie Mindi in Tbilisi (9.0 rating). The cheapest in Macon, Georgia, USA was $725/February. A place in Atlanta is available for $1,001 (with a very good 8.1 rating).

Unless I really really want to hang out in Atlanta for one month I'm better off in Taiwan where for one month I can budget $1,000 for lodging, transportation and food included.

Plus, Taiwan is safer than anywhere in the USA.

And the people friendlier, imho.


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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1311011-Porthole/day/12-29-2019