The trip from Amman to Jerusalem involved a land-border crossing. It was the third one of the trip and they are never quite as easy as entering the country through an airport. The two cities are only 50 miles apart, but the whole process took us almost eight hours; it involved three buses and four different taxis. Part of the problem was access to cash at the Israeli border station. We traded in the last of our Jordanian Dinars at the only currency exchange place available, which took an outrageous …

We only planned one week in Brazil expecting to go to soak in Carnaval and see some of the sights. What we didn’t plan for was accommodations. We looked around at hostels and hotels and nothing was reasonably priced. I mean $80 USD a night per person for a mattress in a room with 19 other people?!? That rate really existed, but most weren’t in a room that large. Plus since it’s Carnaval, a minimum 5 to 7 night stay. We “tricked” the system and booked for the 2 nights …