A Gourmet Food Guide for Budget Travelers

A 36-year old ex-pat with the pen name "Our Man in Hanoi" offers advice to budget travelers. The first thing you have to realize is that nothing is what it seems. No one has sex outside of marriage here apparently. Yet the teenage abortion rate is horrifically high. Everyone seemingly has a mobile phone and a motorbike but the average wage is a dollar a day. Befriend a local and they will spend their last few cents on a meal for you. They will refuse to take anything towards the cost (and you probably shouldn't offer) and they will be genuinely honored to eat with you. You can make a friend for life in seconds. At the same time, if someone collapses in the street, people will walk by. Or worse, stop to stare but do nothing. As a foreigner the police will leave you alone. They know you bring money into this country. But that works both ways too. They may not help you when you need them either. Everywhere is manic with activity yet strangely serene. Eventually your ears will filter out the noise and you'll fall in step with the traffic. You'll wonder why it seemed so scary when you first arrived. I understand that when you think of Vietnam the chances are your first thought is of the American War (that's what it's called in these parts -- and what else would they call it, if you think about it for a second). By all means go to the museums, the tunnels and the rest if that is your thing. But Vietnam is much much more than that. Seventy percent of the population were born after the war. And the American war was a blip in amongst centuries of other wars. In my experience Vietnamese tend to look forward rather than back: understand the horrors of that war. Put it in context and move on. Vietnam has. Don't get too tied down with that communism thing. Vietnam is communist in name only. In terms of the likes of education and health care the capitalist country you left is likely to provide more for its people. As for freedom, well don't expect criticism of the government in the newspapers, but you don't suffer a nanny state here either. And yes.. the opening up to commerce has helped Vietnam prosper. But don't forget this is on the back of a rare 30 years of peace. I would guess that this is the most significant factor in the upswing. Don't worry about your personal safety. Or at least don't panic about it. Vietnam is probably the safest place you will visit. But don't be stupid. Hanoi isn't too bad but by all account bag snatching is on the rise in Saigon. Just keep things close to you. Honestly money belts are not needed. Stick you wallet in your pocket, like you do at home. People will rip you off sometimes. They need the money. But that doesn't mean that people will ALWAYS rip you off. Sometimes the price they say is THE price. There is no need for haggling. Other times you can haggle and haggle to get a couple of cents knocked off. Why bother? Find out what things cost. Don't accept the rip off price but accept the reasonable price. And while we're at it, westerners don't always pay more than locals (transport aside). That's a myth. And yes people are poor here. Ignore the TV shops, the motorbikes, the cars etc. It's for a (growing) select few. Most people still live in a one room home and sleep on the floor. Remember that. Learn a couple of words of Vietnamese. Hello and thank-you will do it. It'll make people smile at the very least. Smiling is important here. Smile when you're haggling, smile when you're arguing, smile when you're asking for your money back. People will appreciate it and actually it's a nicer way to live. If you're being over charged make an "oh my god" face, but do it half smiling. They'll realize they've been sussed but they'll smile back in an "I've been caught?" way and most likely offer you the real price. Relax...they can smell nervous tourists and it's like a red rag to a bull. At least pretend you know what you're doing without being arrogant. Learn to enjoy it even when things go wrong. They will go wrong. Vietnam is slapstick and bizarre and that is why so many of us love it. Vietnamese people know their country is bizarre. Get stuck in a traffic jam in a taxi and the driver will turn to you laughing, shrug and say: "Vietnam." As if that is the reason for the madness. Remember, each cock-up is another experience and another good traveler's tale. Learn to laugh at the problems and live with it. Oh and they will call you fat. They will ask how much you weigh, how old you are, how much you earn, how much your camera cost. Compared to them you probably are fat -- and answer the questions truthfully -- who cares? As Michael Caine says in The Quiet American: "They say, whatever you are looking for, you can find here." It's true. On every level from beautiful beaches to amazing cities. From boiled dog to bangers and mash. From street food to the Sheraton. How much you submerge yourself in Vietnam is up to you. Eat at street stalls if you enjoy the experience but you don't have to. Don't feel guilty if you only eat in top restaurants. Your dollars will still pay for a wage here. Likewise don't think you understand Vietnam and its people just because you've sat on plastic stools and eaten noodle soup. And there is a seedy underside, and there are drugs, and there is corruption and prostitution. But where doesn't have these? There is no where else like Vietnam. People who have been here longer than me, have told me that only five years ago it was all bicycles on the road. Now it's mostly motorbikes but more and more cars are starting to appear. Vietnam is changing. And although I wish I had seen it then, now is also fascinating. The change is here but McDonalds and Starbucks haven't arrived yet. Nothing is ruined. Not yet. You should realize that people either love or hate Vietnam. It is that type of place. But if you at least try to love it then it is more likely to work for you. Come here already smiling and with an open mind and it will be ok. Start to lose your temper over the traffic, the service, the roads or the food and it will only get worse. Nothing works here if you stop smiling. My final piece of advice is: play the idiot. Play the big western lump. Catch their eye when they're laughing at you (you are funny) and laugh with them. Pull a face at the kids. Leave your ego and impatience behind and it'll work out just fine. Comment on this story below. Then check out what our other finalists wrote: A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most elusive beer. A young mother learns how to find spa bargains. And a food-lover offers her list of the best places for budget travelers to eat in eight cool places.

Exhausted mother Kyla Kelim learns how to find spa bargains. (Suggested title: "Day-tripping on a budget") My motto is, "if its free, its for me", but, my mission on this particular Saturday is to find out how well this motto fit in the upscale world of day spas. The background: I had a particularly stressful week at work, punctuated by a certain amount of whining on my part to my soulmate (ok, alot of whining on my part), who was supportive, compassionate and caring for at least 30 seconds before launching into how stressed out he was. By the end of the week, my shoulders were near my ears. After receiving the news that my relaxing weekend was starting with him working part of Saturday and leaving me in this advanced state of stress with the children alone, I wondered whether my shoulders would soon require surgery, and whether it would hurt and if they would actually let me stay in the hospital for recovery.... Fortunately, dear husband was in fear of losing his tranquility and finished the "have to work" sentence with an offer for me to have a "mini-spa-day" for the rest of Saturday, and imparted me with a modest budget and instruction to make an appointment. Wow. I wasn't sure how to start. I was aware that in the civilized world, there are such places as spas, and that they generally come with inviting pictures of peaceful settings and luxury amenities. When I've cautiously clicked on the "services and rates" button in the past, I've suffered sticker shock that sent me reeling and recalled that the price was somewhere around what my current day care bill was -- for a month. Although skeptical and a bit unused to frivolous spending, my wise husband had obviously recognized that sometimes even moms need a vacation, if only for a few hours and further, sometimes the budget should be bent a bit to take care of the rock of the family. Or, perhaps, he has a purchase of yet more stereo equipment in mind. Whatever. To work: I only had a few hours to plan a trip to a spa, and a budget of $ 100.00. I took to this task like my life depended on it. I ended up booking a wonderful, hour-long massage and got a very trendy haircut to boot, and tipped nicely of course. This did take some negotiating, but I did learn some valuable tips along the way that would have saved me about two-thirds of that in advance. Oh well, at least my shoulders are safe from the knife for the moment... 1. Plan ahead. When you wait until the day you want to go, you have limited choices. Especially if that day is Saturday, the busiest day of the spa week. Many of the spas are booked ahead of time with regular clients, or have not booked enough staff to accommodate walk-ins. On the day I called, I was not able to get the pedicure I really craved as they were completely booked, and most of the other spas that had space for the pedicure did not have a slot for a massage as well. Many did not call me back at all. 2. Opt for a weekday. Most spas will be closed on Mondays as well as Sundays, but booking on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (or Friday nights in some places) will give you an advantage as it is typically a much slower day. 3. Ask about packages. Some spas offer deep discounts with multiple visits or services. If there are no advertised packages, for example, ask if the spa will give a discount if multiple services are purchased in advance. Nearly all will give a good discount, sometimes approaching 50%. 4. Bring a friend...or several. Since we're planning in advance, ask some friends or relatives for some one-on-one time, or spring for a babysitter (see swap sitting below for a real bargain) and take your soulmate. Nearly all of the spas advertise a special for spouses or friends. Many offer free services for you if you bring three friends or more. 5. Swap sitting. While you're bargaining for the bulk discount, see if the spa will issue the discount in connection with gift certificates, and go in with your friends who have children, and offer to swap babysitting services during appointments. 6. Check the net. At the very least, you will find out what services in your area generally cost - critical for bargaining. I ran across a number of unbelievable specials. Some even on a Sunday! Mark your calendars! For example, one specialized New York City spa offered $ 30 for one of several treatments on one day a year. As spas become more plentiful, competition is driving the prices down, and making the packages more attractive. Several trendy boutiques offered a half day of services for less than the money that I paid for my unplanned Saturday treat, and allowed you to take advantage of those services on multiple visits! Which leads me to the next important tip: 7. Be Flexible! As I stated, I believed that life as I know it was about to end because I wasn't able to meet my vision of my perfect day which included a pedicure with my massage. Actually, I did a perfectly fine job on my own toes but not such a good job butchering my hair over the kitchen sink with perhaps the dullest kitchen scissors this side of the Mississippi. Thus, a massage and a trendy haircut didn't just work fine for me, but my benefactor at least appeared to be enthralled with my appearance (although it was probably the glow of picking out that new subwoofer) - a real ego boost and an added bonus that I hadn't even factored in! Shop wisely and you will likely find close to what you want and may find what you settle for is better than what you had envisioned. And lets face it, a day (or half day) at the spa, beats a good day at work any time! That being said, I would not have settled for eyebrow waxing... 8. Do your homework! Don't be afraid to plug all your valuable research into a homemade chart so that you can perform step number 9. 9. Don't be afraid to ask. The asking should sound something like this: "I would really love to come to your spa, and have heard wonderful things about you, and its really much more convenient to where I live, however, I am now booked into ABC spa for next Tuesday, who is offering me a mini-facial, hour long massage, mini-manicure, and pedicure for less than you are charging for the massage and facial. If you think you can match that, I'd prefer to come to you." If you haven't done your research, this approach will not work well. It also helps to say it with a great deal of charm. If you have the time, it helps more to say it in person (away from other customers). Dress well for this appearance. Remember, this is a business, one that wants customers who are potentially repeat customers who will potentially recruit their friends and family to come in. Alot. Which brings me to... 10. Enlist co-conspirators. The staff who is providing the services are working for a fee. Part of that fee comes from what you are paying for the service, as a commission, typically, and part is from your gratuity. Should you show interest in other services, especially from the same provider, you are likely to be able to develop perhaps your best source of discount, the employee, who will know what is possible in terms of discounts at that spa. Display your dilemna prior to treatment, perhaps by inquiring about a parrafin wax treatment prior to a manicure. They will be anxious to please you to increase the amount of tip they are likely to get and may be able to offer the service as a compliment. Develop a rapport and be sure to get -- and keep -- their card. Call and ask to speak with them personally and invite them to direct you to slower days, where they can spend more time with you. This will free up time for additional services - either greatly reduced or free. Remember, they also want you to come back. 11. And finally, for the true bargain hunter. Let me say that I was appalled to spend a cool c-note on myself in one fell swoop, with no regard to the babies-needing-shoes (they always do) or the ever growing grocery list (a killer and far more than the c-note) and on and on.. But I did learn that, had I been able to put the research into it that I now have performed, I could have had close to the same experience for....$31, or less. That's right, less than a third for several hours of good time. First, check in your area for schools of massage therapy. There were two here in Sunny, medium-sized Mobile, Alabama. Two! I found, without much difficulty, that at least one offers student massages at the rate of $ 25.00 per hour. And offers gift certificates for multiple visits! Second, check your local cosmetology schools. Only those close to graduation are staffing the clinics, and these people are learning the latest techniques and styles. And they are supervised. You might want to get there early and watch for a while, if you have that choice. Still, its better than my dull kitchen shears, for sure! Costs will be very low and in some areas, they may offer free styling to give the students the experience. For those who want more done to their hair, this is really a great bargain. I once had to get the red out of my hair, not an easy prospect nor particularly good for your wallet at your average salon. At the school, it took quite a while and involved supervisors, but 4 hours and $ 40.00 later, I had the red out, and a stylish cut, dry and style. It truly can pay to be a bargain shopper! Well, I'm going to cut cucumbers for the babies and, while I'm at it, sneak a few pieces for my eyes and dream of my next 'mini-spa-day"...but, first, must investigate why stereo sounds much louder. Hmm. Comment below. And then read what the other contestants submitted: A young man goes to Belgium on a quest for the world's most perfect beer. An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitor. And a gourmand offers her list of the best places for budget travelers to eat worldwide.

Nick Wusz goes the extra mile to find one of the world's most elusive beers. There are seven beers in the world brewed by Trappist Monks, six in Belgium (Achel, Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Westmalle, and Westvleteren) and one in the Netherlands (La Trappe). Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Achel, Westmalle, and La Trappe (Schaapskooi) are commmercially available, and in Portland, Oregon, can be found very easily at either Wild Oats or our specialty beer shop Belmont Station. This is a tale of my quest for the elusive Trappist beer, one who's mystical legend has grown, and who's elusive flavors are considered to be the best in the world. This is the tale to obtain and quaff the beer of beers, Westvleteren. Up until last year sometime, I had never heard of Westvleteren. Being a beer geek, I was very familiar of the other, more easily obtained trappist beers, but the "Westy" was only drawn to my attention because of the beer website BeerAdvocate, which put the Westvleteren 12 (the 12 being an abbreviated specific gravity reading, which makes the beer about 10.2%ABV) at its number one spot of best beers in the world. Trappist beers are very special, brewed by monks who put their heart and soul into these fine ales, and many are considered works of art. Certainly, of the beers widely available, they are all considered some of the best in the world. Most of the monasteries have signed distribution deals to get their beers to as wide a market as possible, but not the Westy. You can only obtain their beers (they brew the aforementioned 12, an 8, and a Blond Ale) at the monastery in western Belgium, and on the receipt they state very plainly that these beers are not for sale, and are for personal use only. Because of the beer websites and the rarity of these beers, a furor has been created. There are reports of mile long lines of cars at the monastery, people selling cases of the beers on Ebay for $200 (they cost $50 at the monastery), and many companies trying to distribute the beers. But the monks have stuck to their guns. They only brew enough beer to maintain the monastery and lead their peaceful existence withing it's walls. Their beers have no labels, and are very un-fancy in the packaging, the monks letting their craft speak for itself. Because of the crazy demand for these beers, the monks have set up a phone reservation system. I was in the area last November, and I figured I would just be able to stop by the monastery and pick up some beers. No way. You have to call the monk hot line, which will tell you when to call back to reserve the beer. Then you call back on the day and time they said on the first message, and reserve the beer by giving your name or car plate number. They will tell you when you can pick up the beers. Then you show up, load up to 3 cases of the beer, and that's it! So its kind of a complicated system, and there is only one beer available at a time, based on the season (the strong 12 in the winter, the 8 in the fall and spring, and the blond during the summer). My friend Tyson and I had planned a trip to Amsterdam April 1-6, 2007 and I was going to do my DAMNEST to get me some Westys when we are there, even though its a 4 hour drive from the canal-crazed city. So, two weeks prior to our departure, I called the hot line. The message is in dutch and french, but if you know the secret (thanks random internet site!) you can push "3" and the message is in broken english. The message said for reservations for the 12 (yes! that's the one I want! LUCKY.), call between 9am-12 noon on March 26. I was giddy with delight. I read on the net that the monks only have 1 phone line, and the amount of people calling can sometimes make the wait 2 hours to get through. So, on the 26th, 9am Belgium time was midnight our time and I hit the phone right at 12:00. After 1/2 hour of busy signals, I pulled out my cell phone and tried 2 phones at once! Felt like a gangsta mob bookie taking numbers. After another 30 minutes of two phone action, I got a ring!!!!!!! I was shaking, so nervous. Mr. Monk picked up...Me:"do you speak english?"..."yes"..."can I reserve 3 crates of the 12"..."ok, whats your car registration number?"..."well, I will be in a rental car. Can I give you my name? Nick Wusz....W-U-S-Z"...."ok, what day will you come?"..."oh, is April 4 ok?"..."yes. You will be here fourteen fifteen hours."..."so fourteen fifteen? Two fifteen on April 4?"...."yes"...."ok, thank you!"...."bye". That's it. THEY HAVE BEEN RESERVED. Oh, so happy. It was 1am and I was full on awake and felt so much closer to my dream of quaffing this elusive elixir. Reality = (How the hell do we get these beers back home) + (How the hell do we get out there)? It's weird to think about planning for something 10 days away, 10,000 miles away, so that you can get to a certain destination at 2:15pm on a Wednesday afternoon. April 4, Amsterdam. I am prepared for this driving adventure, and have been looking forward to this day since we arrived. Taking a break from our Amsterdamming, doin a European road trip, short but sweet. Back home, I had procured the appropriate google maps, reserved the car in Amsterdam, and plotted out a path so that we can visit two other monasteries (La Trappe, and Westmalle) in addition to Westvleteren. It is essential that we are not late (don't want to piss a monk off!), so we got to the car rental place in the Dam's suburbs right when they opened at 8. For some dumb ass reason I didn't bring my passport for the car rental, and we were millimeters from being rejected the rental car, but good ol Tyson came through with his passport and flight information, which the guy wanted for some reason. PHEW. Close one. We drove away with our little Volkswagen Fox. Driving South from Amsterdam, towards Tilburg, we noticed right away some differences between US driving and European driving.... these people know how to drive! There is a sense of respect and politeness when drivers use the slow lane for driving and the other two lanes for passing only. Very cool. This allows some very fast driving, which is fine, because there will be no one lingering in the fast lane. Our lil Fox is smooth and very easy to drive. Handled well on the small, one lane roads. We loved how on the small roads there was no signage telling you to drive slow, or the road narrows, or you cannot pass here. Felt good to sort out the road with the other drivers. More rules = less freedom. We arrived at La Trappe monastery in Koeningshoven (Schaapskooi) at 10:30am, just when the shop and cafe opened. As we would learn throughout the day, the monks put these monasteries in beautiful, tranquil areas in the countryside. The castle-like walls of the monastery beckoned to us, but the only areas of the grounds opened to visitors are the cafe and the little monastery shop, selling religious stuff and BEER! We had an early morning quadruple(11%ABV) in the cafe, hit the store for some glassware, beer, and cheese, and spoke to the monk about our quest for Westvleteren. He was impressed. Travelling south west through the north of Belgium, we passed some amazing countryside and cities that yearned to be explored, but it was not to be this day...we had a mission to complete! We descended upon the area of Poperinge and Ieper, in eastern Belgium, around 1:30pm and quickly realized that our maps sucked hard. Leaving the freeway, and using the written part of the Google map, we managed to wind our way into the countryside, amongst un-planted hop fields, where we started to see signs for the abbey. ...and the village of Westvleteren! Seriously, if you weren't looking for this place, you would never know you were here. It's so strange (yet appropriate) that the worlds best beer comes from someplace so out of the way, and so beautiful. After a few more turns on some curvy country roads, we arrived at the monastery. 1400 hours. 2pm. Amazing. The next part happened very quickly. There were around 6 cars waiting in front of a gate that led to a circular driveway, which passed by a small warehouse, where the beer is loaded into your car. Soon after 2pm, the gate was opened by a monk and the cars started filing in. We were overcome with excitement as the monk loaded up each car with cases of the 12 and slowly we moved car by car until it was our turn. I started getting panicky and nervous that maybe my name wasn't on the list. I saw the monk look at our car registration number and not find it on his paper, but he quickly saw my name on there when I told him who I was. Tyson drove the Fox into position, three cases of 12 were loaded into our little car, and we paid (30 euro per case + 10 euro deposit for crate and bottles) and we drove out of the driveway. Did that actually happen? Oh man, that was short, sweet, and efficient. No BS from the monks...all business. Hard to believe that we actually drove to the mecca of beers and obtained the nectar of the gods, straight from the source. The only bummer of this day was that the cafe was closed. At the cafe, you can buy up to six bottles of each of the beers (at a higher price), have some food, take in the scenery, and drink some Westy's. What the hell! Closed until April 6 for spring break, I guess. Have another reason to go back now! We pulled the Fox into the parking lot of the cafe and basked in the glory of OUR crates of Westy. Felt like pirates with their loot. Some people who didn't know all the rules with obtaining the beer and just showed up, attempted to buy some of our beers from us. "Sorry" is all we can say. Suckers. haha Using our glasses obtained at La Trappe (I know, not the official Westvleteren glass, but it will do for now), we poured ourselves a Westvleteren 12, right outside the monastery. Can it get any better than this? Lets just say, after al the hype, this beer did not dissapoint. It's flavors reach to the cosmos, with hints of nutmeg, plum and a very subtle alcohol taste(hard to do with a 10.2% beer!). It has a taste of wood and smoke, and a perfect carbonation and the after taste is as good as the first milli second it hits the tongue. Truly an amazing beer, and definitely the best I have ever had. This journey was so worth it. THANK YOU BEER GODS!!!! We left the monastery behind. You gotta respect these monks...the brew they produce is a piece of art and they let the flavor speak for itself. I sure appreciate their hard work. One last look at beer mecca as we drive away. Tyson and I headed to Poperinge for some lunch and some of those other Trappist beers, toured some WWI cemeteries and headed back onto the highway as twilight ensued. The area around Ieper and Westvleteren is spectacular....hop fields, farms, estates, greenery--seemed like a great time of year to be out here. The grass was long and wavy and sun was shining. Hard to imagine that 500,000 soldiers from WWI are buried out here. There must have been beautiful days like this during those long battles. Crazy. Our next destination was the monetary of Westmalle, located near the dutch border, just east of Antwerp. Another beautiful setting, especially amongst the light of twilight...the shadows of the trees and the birds chirping made for a glorious, romantic setting. Tried to hold hands with Tyson, but he wouldn't go for it. Ha! Again, the monastery is closed to the public, but we had some Belgian food (MEAT) and some Westmalle Tripels (also the Trip-Trap, Westmalle dubbel and tripel mixed) at the cafe across the street. Great beers and great food. Three monasteries in one day is quite an achievement, and we were tired. Only four more to visit someday. We made it back to Amsterdam by 11pm with our precious cargo safely in the back. we couldn't drop the Fox off at the rental place outside of business hours, so we nervously approached Amsterdam central. Luckily, being so late, it was not a big deal at all, and we miraculously found a parking spot right outside our apartment. The task at hand soon became "how are we going to get these beers back to the US!!!?!?!?!" I had borrowed a large, hard Samsonite suitcase from my mom and bought a roll of bubble tape. I fit 48 beers into that suitcase! Tyson fit 24 beers into his roll case, packing all the precious nectar in his dirty underwear. My bag (and his) were super heavy. I could barely lift it, and rolling it was brutal on my back. THIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL MANKIND. Before leaving The Dam, we both bought Westvleteren glasses at the local beer shop to make it all official. So my two check-in bags were crazy packed with beers, souvenirs, knick knacks, and beer glasses. Both very heavy and very fragile. I also had one of the wooden crates as my carry-on, which got some interesting looks. Tyson took a crate as well, and we left one behind. Lets just say I approached the check in counter at Schipol airport with trepidation and nervousness. To my disbelief, the lady at the desk didn't even glance at the digital scale read off, when it said 40kg (88lbs) for my big bag abd 25kg (56lbs) for my other bag. PHEW. Big relief. LUCKY. I had them put Fragile stickers on both of the bags. Let's just hope my bubble wrap holds...would be quite a tragedy if I get back with 2 beers instead of 2 cases. I put alot of faith in luck with these bags, and hope the Baggage Handling God was on my side. Flew Amsterdam to London to San Francisco. In SF I had to go through customs and I couldn't find anything on their little form that I needed to declare, so I didn't declare anything. I picked up my bags (no leaking!) and headed through the green customs line swiftly and surely...no problem! As soon as I got through, I opened the little case--no moisture. Nice. I opened the big case...oops something has broken or leaked, but not bad. Maybe one bottle, I thought. Forget it...I latched the bags back up and checked them in for my final flight from SF to Portland. Portland, Oregon. My large bag approached me along the luggage conveyor. Just beyond it, along with a strange, dank, beer-y smell, a puddle. Oh I didn't want to look! Once home, I surveyed the damage. Looks like two bottles broke completely, and around eight leaked about half of their contents. Must have been some heavy pressure(or un-proper bottle cappage) to cause leakage like this. But that leaves 38 bottles of pure liquid heaven safe and secure. Not bad! The only casualty is my moms suitcase, which even after a good scrubbing and air-out, still smells like the best beer in the world. Now it's four days later, and the beers are storing cool and dry in my basement. This beer gets better with time, so I hope I can be patient enough and disciplined enough to let a few bottles age for at least 2 years. Damn, what an adventure. My Westy tastes so much better knowing what we had to do to obtain and bring back a bunch of bottles. I guess I am officially a beer geek now. Comment on this piece below! And then read the writing of the other three finalists: A young mother learns hunts for spa bargains. An American ex-pat offers advice to a first-time Vietnam visitors. And a foodie picks her favorite places for budget travelers to eat worldwide.

Those last-minute Southwest fares aren't always great deals. A new study from the University of California, Irvine, finds that "last-minute airfares are more expensive on Southwest, on average, than on other airlines when consumers use online searches like Orbitz or Travelocity." In other words, if you're shopping for last-minute tickets, don't just visit Southwest.com and pick the lowest fare you see. Be sure to comparison shop by using an online meta-search engine, such as Kayak.com. You may find a lower 11th-hour fare on another airline. (hat tip, the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth/Dallas) Ignore news stories about fare hikes. These stories are over-hyped in most cases. For example, on Monday, Reuters reported that Southwest Airlines was raising many of its fares by up to $2 each way. But such information can be misleading. Southwest raised its fares seven times from January 2006 to March 2007, and the major airlines raised their domestic fares 11 times. These price hikes meant that the prices of all the tickets that airlines put up for sale rose on average. But people don't buy all the tickets that are put up for sale, of course. And when you consider how much travelers actually shelled out for fares, you see a brighter picture. Purchased fares were slightly lower on average in the first few months of this year than they were on average during the first few months of 2006. In other words, we travelers are paying slightly less now for tickets than we were a year ago on average, according to JP Morgan Analyst Jamie Baker's explanation in this Travel Weekly story. More to the point, who cares about these fare hikes? They represent merely a small portion of the tens of thousands of fares for sale overall. What you truly need is a helpful strategy for finding a cheap airfare for your next trip. You'll find a collection of Budget Travel's strategies for hunting airfares by clicking here. Don't expect the Diners Club card to have the same benefits today as it did just a couple of years ago. As travel deal expert Gary Leff points out in this post, Diners Club has gone from winning the "best loyalty credit card" award for nine years running in an annual survey of hundreds of thousands of travelers, called the Freddie Awards, to not even being nominated by travelers for an award in this year's competition. Travelers began rejecting Diners Club after it became a Mastercard and watered down its benefits. Diners Club no longer has partnerships with restaurants, which is rather silly, given its name. It has also made it more costly and difficult to transfer points you earn on purchases to your preferred frequent flier rewards program, too. For details, click here.