The Cary Family's 2006 Travel Adventures

We thought we would share some of our successes and some of our mistakes with each of you through this website, as we learned quite a bit from our travels abroad.

Europeans, and specifically the French, hate Americans
We found this myth to be untrue from the moment we stepped onto European soil. Numerous people stopped and asked us if we needed help, directions, etc. The metro stations and streets of Paris were full of people willing to help, speaking both English and French (see the next point below). Don't be afraid to ask for help or directions if needed. The majority of people will be more than happy to help you.

Don't forcefully start a conversation in English
Although many of the people we met in both Europe and Kenya spoke English, we found that the people we began a conversation with in their native language (either by saying "Jambo" in Swahili or "Bonjour" in French) were much more open to speaking English with us, rather than being forced to speak English from the start. Even in France, most of the people spoke English but I always began with a polite "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Do you speak English?) before force-feeding my English to them. I think the others we were speaking with gained some respect for us at least trying to speak their language, even though I'm sure we butchered the heck out of the other language and broke all sorts of grammatical rules.

The Paris Metro and RER trains
If you plan to see a lot of the tourist attractions in Paris (Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, etc.) buy an unlimited metro ticket for the duration of your stay. We bought an unlimited 5-day pass for about 40 Euros ($52 US) per person which allowed us to travel anywhere on the metro, RER train (commuter train from the airport to the city), and bus lines for the duration of our visit to France. In contrast, a single trip on the metro costs you a flat rate of 4 Euros I believe, so if you take just a few metro trips each day, you will more than make money on the deal.

Be prepared for sticker shock in Paris
Simply stated, prices on restaurant menus in Paris are high. However, one must know that the price includes mandatory sales and goods taxes, as well as most restaurants including a 15% tip in the cost of each item. A pasta dish that costs 15 Euros ($18 US) may seem very expensive when compared to the price at home, but the tax and tip are already included. There are exceptions to the tip being included in the price of the item, but the inclusion in the price seems to occur in the majority of restaurants that we visited.

One other note of interest regarding prices in Paris - we found most tourist attractions, both on and off the beaten path, to be reasonably priced. The entrance fee for nearly every place we visited was between $5-$10 US. Pay the few dollars to see a sight that you haven't seen before or may never see again. The memories you will have for the rest of your life will be well worth the price.

Don't drink the water in Africa
People think this is obvious... And it is... But be very aware of how local tap water is used. We would suggest using bottled or distilled water to cook with, rinse food with, and brush your teeth with. Also, don't allow water to go into your mouth when taking a shower. Be cautious when ordering restaurant food items as well, as items such as lettuce, fruit, and uncooked foods may be rinsed with local water and contain nasty little things. The more careful you are, the less likely you are to come down with an stomach bug or something worse.