Top 5: Travel Websites

With my time in Greece drawing to a close, I realised that I should get at least a little more organised for my next ports-of-call, or at least work out where I will be going. The best starting place I have found for this has not been Lonely Planet (who wants to lug something the size of War and Peace around Europe for 3 months?) but the tinterweb.

Specifically, the following sites have helped enormously:
5) WikiTravel
This one is only getting started, but its a great place to read reviews of cities (including what to say, where to eat etc) and leave reviews of your own. In its infancy, but its at least a lot easier than carrying a book around.

4) Thorn Tree
This is the Lonely Planets site that could end up replacing their publishing arm. Similar to WikiTravel, though edges it at the moment due to having more content. To its detriment, it isn't well organised, but I suppose that's what forums are.

3) Sky Scanner
Enables the user to look up flights to/from almost anywhere - specifically on cheap airlines. Similar to HostelWorld (below) its usually best not best to book flights through the site, but a great way to find how you can get around.

2) Google Maps
One of the great things about the Lonely Planet was that it always had a map (regardless of quality) of the place you are going, which reduces time spent:
a) being lost; and
b) wandering into slightly sketchy areas (unless you like that sort of thing)

Google Maps has (pretty much) smashed that concept and even lets you know what is in the region and whether the streets are one-way. Further, the scary new invention that is 'Street view' can let you even see what the place looks like.

1) HostelWorld
THE place for finding places to stay on almost any corner of the Earth. This is a brilliant site, enabling reviews of the venues on a manner of categories as well as enabling user comments. You can book through the site, or, look the place up on the web and book seperately (avoiding down-payment etc). I have seen this abused though, with people working at the venues standing over guests while they write their reviews, but its generally tip-top.

Top 5: Oddities about 'Land down under'

Following on from my previous post, I am still 'house sitting' in a Yoga retreat in Greece, busying myself with the gardening and 'sitting on the beach' requirements. Ive also spent quite a bit of time studying, as I have an exam I am flying back to London for in approximately 3 weeks.

I usually spend my time studying in the lounge room, which is a big room that has yoga mats on the floor (no lounge chairs or tables, thank you), that 'Land down under' by Men at Work came on the radio.

As if my situation wasn't strange enough, suddenly I had ecclectic Australian pop from the early eighties to deal with!

Being in a contemplative place though, I started to think about the song in greater detail, which leads me to my top 5 thoughts regarding it:
5) Use of flute
Where on earth did they get the idea to use a flute from? And where else has it been used (within pop music) so successfully? Reminds me of the use of the Xylophone in 'under my thumb' by the Rolling Stones, though could be even better...

4) It went to number #1
OK, its a catchy tune, but how the hell did it go to number one on the charts? Did all the other artists forget to make records in 1983?

3) Why is this big-guy in Brussels giving out free sandwiches?
Is it some strange flemish tradition to answer questions through the medium of food?

2) Why does the song advocate running and taking cover?
Surely Australians aren't that dangerous? Or were the band warning us about the release of their next album? "Who could it be now" was actually a pretty good song.

1) Come to think of it, what the hell is this song about?
Drug-induced back-packing and loss of identity?
Not sure, time to change radio stations.