Dumpster Diving: The Cheapest Way to Eat While Traveling

by Neil Woodburn on

Food can become a considerable expense if you are a backpacker exploring the world with a limited budget. If this is your style of travel, you might consider becoming a “freegan.”

A freegan is a vegetarian who eats for free. And how does one eat for free? Dumpster diving, of course.

The freegan movement is a relatively new one, despite its roots stretching back to the very first bum who pulled something out of the trash, gave it a sniff, and then wolfed it down. Today’s freegans are a little more cultured and refined, according to Erika Hayasaki, who recently studied their lifestyle for a Los Angeles Times feature article. She claims that most of the dumpster divers “are often college-educated people from middle-class families” who are simply rebelling against capitalism and waste. Or, for the purpose of this post, just looking for a meal while thumbing their way to Dublin.I slightly get the point. I certainly spent some time in my youth digging through grocery store dumpsters in search of melons to throw off of tall buildings. The amount of food that these places throw away is staggering and I was always amazed at how fresh some of the items looked. They never looked fresh enough to actually put in my mouth, but I can certainly see how others might want to do that–be it a statement against consumerism or simply to save a buck.

For those of you considering freeganism to supplement your hunger during your budget travel jaunts, you might want to check out Meetup.com–a site that offers dumpster-diving tours in Seattle, Houston, LA, and England. And, if you’re really serious about this, Hayasaki also suggests Freegankitchen.com, a recipe site that promises “gourmet meals from the dumpster.” Mmmmm…

Yes Virginia, There is Something to do in Los Angeles after 2 a.m. in the Morning

by Neil Woodburn on

Friends of mine from New York who come to visit me in Los Angeles often express dismay and surprise at how early the city shuts down. Bars close at 2 a.m.?!??! There’s no where to eat at 3 a.m.?!?!?

Well, that’s not entirely true. Los Angeles does have its share of late night locations, but you really have to know where they hiding. Or, even easier, you can consult a recent LA Times article, Playing in the Dark, for a smattering of what the city has to offer; late night bowling, museum sleepovers, midnight movies, flower marts, dancing, casinos, and of course, restaurants.

So next time you visit LA, please don’t complain that there is nothing to do in the wee hours of the night; it might not be as spectacular as New York City, but we do have our late night haunts, thank you very much!

Big in Japan: Drinking Collagen Keeps Japanese Women Young and Beautiful

by Matthew Firestone on

Ever wonder why it is that Japanese women have such healthy looking skin? Ever wonder how Japanese women manage to look so young well into their golden years?

What if I told you that there was a simple and cheap remedy for reducing wrinkles, hiding blemishes and firming up loose skin. For just a few dollars a day, you too can turn back the clock and wash away the visible signs of aging.

And no, the answer is not a face lift…

And no, the answer is not Botox…

Although the secret is slowly spreading to the Western World, for years Japanese women have been drinking daily mega-doses of collagen as supplement to their diet.

Collagen, the main protein of connective tissue in animals, is a long, fibrous, structural protein that gives strength to tissues and cells. It is also responsible for skin strength and elasticity, and its degradation leads to the formation of wrinkles that accompany aging.

Collagen, dissolved in vitamin water and bottled for your consumption, is also sold at convenience stores across Japan.


Now, I know that it’s easy to be skeptical about health and beauty products, especially since the next big thing is always being touted on late night infomercials across North America. And of course, we all know that the Japanese have incredibly healthy diets that are based on rice and fish, compared with the North America propensity for fatty foods.

Also, I don’t want to discount their genetic predisposition, especially considering that the Japanese tend to age very well, and generally look younger than their Western counterparts.

But, there is scientific reason to believe that collagen may in fact be something of a fountain of youth. And although anecdotal evidence isn’t exactly the most reliable of methods, my Japanese friends swear by stuff.

As a structural protein, collagen has great tensile strength, and is the main component of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones and teeth. In addition to retaining the firmness of skin, it is also responsible for strengthening blood vessels as well as connective tissues.

For years, collagen has been widely used in various types of cosmetic surgery, as a healing aid for burn patients, for reconstructing bones and ligaments, and in a number of dental and orthopedic procedures.

Of course, all of this doesn’t necessarily mean that drinking collagen will result in better skin, thicker hair, stronger teeth and healthier bones, and the scientific consensus on the benefits of liquid supplements remains undecided. However, this hasn’t stopped Japanese health and beauty companies from packaging the stuff and selling it in bulk to the consumer, netting millions of dollars of profit each year.

In Tokyo, you can by bottles containing 10,000 mg of collagen dissolved in a vitamin and mineral packed peach-flavored solution for approximately US$2 (230 yen). And remarkably, you don’t even have to go to a specialty store to buy the product.

Instead, just simple walk out of your apartment, head into the first convenience store you see, and give in to your vanity for the same price as a cup of coffee.

Truth be told, I can’t stop drinking the stuff.

Call it vanity (or possibly stupidity), but there’s no denying how young and healthy all of my Japanese friends look.

Will let you know how my quest for beauty works out in a few months’ time…

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10-Day Sausage Fest in Texas

by Catherine Bodry on

New Braunfels, Texas, has been holding “Wurstfest — The 10-day salute to sausage” for 46 years. While the rest of the world celebrates Oktoberfest, New Braunfels’ residents wait a bit longer in the fall to honor another German favorite besides beer: sausage.

The fest kicks off with the traditional “biting of the sausage” (see photo) and continues with plenty of accordion music, and the chance to sample different types of wurst. There’s bratwurst, of course, but also apple wurst, jalapeno wurst and more.

This year 125,000 visitors are expected.

[via Msnbc]

Looking for some more Oktoberfest fun? Check out Gadling’s coverage of the festival!

Budget Travel’s ‘Cheapest Place in the World’ Not So Cheap

by Catherine Bodry on

When my news feeder gave me the headline “Cheapest Places in the World,” I clicked excitedly on the link, anticipating a new traveler’s hot spot, a place where I might travel on $30 a day at the most.

I was wrong. Budget Travel’s “cheapest place,” Mancorá, Peru, may be inexpensive for someone who can afford a vacation, but it’s far beyond my backpacker’s budget. Usually when I buy a plane ticket to somewhere far, far away, it means I’m going to be gone a good long while. And if that’s the case, there are no $40/night hotel rooms — my budget ranges from $60-100 a day (Europe) to $20 a day (India). If I’m headed to Peru, I’m going to be shopping for the cheapest possible accommodation, and I have a feeling it can get a lot cheaper than $40 for a bed. Ditto for eating — Budget Traveler suggests that a $6 meal is a bargain, but the writers obviously haven’t looked to street food for their culinary delights. As we’ve written about the merits of eating street food many times here at Gadling, I won’t say more than this: Street food is generally less risky, much tastier, and a lot cheaper than restaurant food, especially if said restaurants are anywhere near tourist hot spots.


Get more tips for enjoying budget travel!

So, who is Budget Travel catering to? I’m guessing it’s the demographic I’m increasingly less a part of: the unattached, DINKs (Double Income No Kids), 20- 30-somethings who have the same travel bug in their veins from studying or volunteering abroad when they were younger, but who can afford to class up their travels just a notch. But for now, Budget Travel’s recommendations are a bit out of my budget.

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