Couriers One way of getting cheap intl flights is to fly as a freelance courier. There are a few companies which will pay you for the right to use your baggage allowance, yielding a heavily-discounted fare (typically a little more than half the regular discounted fare).

For them, this is much cheaper (and sometimes more reli- able) than paying cargo rates for shipping. Since the shipment is usually time-critical (e.g., financial docs), it is essential that the pkg be classified as baggage. Baggage is less likely to be "bumped" from a flight than freight. The courier company can't simply buy a ticket and leave the seat empty, since the seat must be occupied for the freight to be listed as baggage instead of frt.

The courier company earns a percentage of the savings from the company shipping the package. They also further defray their costs by selling the seat to you (at a discount, of course). The courier company may also charge you an annual registration fee (typically $50) or a refundable deposit ($100 or $200 is common).

If the courier company is really desperate, sometimes (rarely) you can get them to pay for all or most of your ticket. The tickets are non-refundable - you pay the money for the ticket to the courier company, who then buys the ticket from the airline. The trips are usually very short notice, typically 1-2 weeks. When shipments are done on a contract, seats can be assigned to couriers several months in advance. Some courier companies are less shipping companies than they are courier brokers.

Such companies match couriers with companies that need to ship packages. An annual registration fee is usually a good tipoff that the company is a courier broker, though there are no hard and fast rules of thumb. You do not deal with the baggage, other than (occasionally) to hand-carry a set of paperwork. You will not get the tickets until you arrive at the airport (at the last minute) and meet with the freight company's rep to get the paperwork. The reps are often and disorganized, so be prepared for some anxious moments while you try to connect with them. 

When you arrive at the destination you'll turn over the manifest to another rep of the company. You'll probably have to wait for for the bags to be unloaded and to clear customs. You are allowed a carry-on.

There may be other restrictions, such as limits to the length of the stay (anywhere from one wk to 30-days max, though it can vary significantly from case to case). Sometimes you can use the baggage space on the return flight, depending on the company and the situation (many companies have you couriering a shipment both ways).

If the company doesn't need you to escort a package home, you may be able to change the return date on your ticket. You're responsible for your expenses at the destination (food, hotel, etc.), so you'll probably want to learn the ins and outs of GHs and hostels.

Since only one courier is needed for a route, you'll be traveling alone. If you want to travel with a friend, don't courier. You must be at least 21 years of age, have a valid passport, and be somewhat levelheaded. It helps if you have a sense of adventure. You will most likely be flying on a major carrier. In the US, most courier co are located in CHI, HOU, LAX, MIA, NYC, and SFO. There are also courier companies based in England, and other major european cities, the far east, Australia, Argentina, Singapore, Honk Kong, Tapei, Japan, South America, Canada (Toronto, Montreal), and so on.

Courier travel between destinations in the US is much less common, as domestic airline delivery services have improved enough to not need it.

If not located in a city that has courier companies, you'll be responsible for your transportation to that city. It is much easier to find a trip by visiting their offices in person than by mail or over the phone. If you don't live near one of the cities from which most couriers depart, it probably isn't for you.

There are risks involved, so be sure to use a reputable courier company and get references. Horror stories include stranded passengers, couriered luggage that contained contraband, and so on. Also beware of fly-by- night outfits that advertise cheap fares and then disappear with your money. If you haven't traveled by courier before, be very careful.

The likelihood of finding a courier company that needs a package escorted to your favorite destination on the day of your choice is next to nil. Courier travel just isn't well-suited for planned vacations. Likewise, if you have commitments or other obligations (eg, making a connection for your return flight home, getting back to school on time), don't count on meeting them. Some people have smooth trips, others don't. 

If you're just after cheap intl airfare, you're probably better off going to a bucket shop. The savings just aren't enough to make the hassles worthwhile. But if you're very flexible about when you want to travel and can leave on a moment's notice, or you don't care where you go, so long as you go somewhere soon, then couriering is a great way to see the world a bit at a time.

Some books about flying as a courier include: o The Air Courier's Handbook, $9.95 Big City Books, PO Box 19667, Sacramento, CA 95819 o The Courier Air Travel Handbook, 1993, $7.95. Mark I. Field, Thunderbird Press, 5930-10 W. Greenway Road, Suite 112B Glendale, Arizona 85306 USA o A Simple Guide to Courier Travel, $15.95 1-800-344-9375 Guide Books, PO Box 2394, Lake Oswego, OR 97035 o The Insiders Guide To Air Courier Bargains 1-800-356-9315. $14.95 + $2 p&h. Kelly Monaghan. Inwood Training Publications, Box 438, New York, NY 10034. o The Air Courier Guide Handbook, 5.99 pounds sterling John Walker Books, 160 Cromwell Road, LONDON SW5 0TL o Directory of Freelance On Board Couriers, $9.95 Canadian. The Inside Track Travel Group, British Columbia, 604-684-6715. Newsletters: o Travel Unlimited, $25/year, 12 issues (8 pages each issue) Attn: Steve Lantos, PO Box 1058, Allston, MA 02134-1058 SteveL2555@aol.com o International Association of Air Travel Couriers $35 registration fee, gets you six copies of the Shoestring Traveler newsletter and six issues of the Air Courier Bulletin directory. Run by Bill Bates. International Association of Air Travel Couriers International Features PO Box 1349 Lake Worth, FL 33460 Tel: 407-582-8320 (Street address is 8 South "J" Street, Suite 3, Lake Worth.) Courier Agencies in New York: Able Travel and Tours 212-779-8530 Paris, London Air Facilities 718-712-0630 South America ACC 212-983-0855, 800-983-0856 Courier Network 212-691-9860 Israel Courier Travel Service 516-763-6898, 516-374-2261 (fax) 516-374-2299, 212-836-1989 718-244-0101, 718-COURIER Worldwide, but mainly to Europe. Some to Middle East, Asia, and South/Central America. 1 week stays. No fee. Hours 09:30-17:00 weekdays. Discount Travel International (DTI) 212-362-8113/3636 212-655-5151 To Mexico, South America, Asia, and Eastern and Western Europe. 169 W. 81st Street, New York, NY 10024 East-West Express 516-561-2360 To Singapore, Asia, and Australia. Halbart Express 718-656-8189/8279 New York to Europe only. or 718-995-7019 10am-3pm only 147-05 176th Street, Jamaica, NY 11434. IBC 718-262-8058. Jupiter Air 718-341-2095, 718-656-6050 New York to Hong Kong and Singapore. Now Voyager, Inc. 212-431-1616 74 Varick Street, Suite #307, New York, NY 10013. Europe. Call between 10:00-16:30 M-F, 12-4:30 Sa, recorded message other times. Charges $50 registration fee. Major cities in US, routed through NY. Payment via certified check, money order, or credit cards (3% processing fee). Tickets are on standby. FedEx's the tickets to your address. You courier both ways. Rush Courier 718-439-9043 Puerto Rico World Courier 718-978-9400, 718-978-9552/9408 800-221-6600 9am-noon only. Requires personal interview in New York. Does not fly to Paris. Flies mostly to Europe and Mexico. Courier Agencies in Miami: A-1 International 305-594-1184 To Venezuela Air Facilities 305-477-8300 DTI 305-538-1616 Halbart 407-483-8832,305-593-0260 To Europe. IMS Courier Service 305-771-7545 To Jamaica Line Haul Services 305-477-0651 To Latin America, Central and South America Martillo Express 305-681-6979 Trans Air Systems 305-592-1771 To Central and South America Travel Courier 718-738-9000 Courier Agencies in Chicago: TNT Chicago 312-453-7300 (area code 708?) To Mexico and London. [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] Courier Agencies in LA: City Link 213-410-9063 [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] Crossroads International 213-643-8600 3pm-5:30 pm [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] IBC Pacific 310-607-0125, 415-697-5985 9am-4pm T-F. Asia, Australia. Jupiter Air 310-670-5123 Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea (Seoul). $200 deposit required for all flights. $35/year membership required . Max stay 30 days, one-week minimum for Seoul. Reserve 2-3 months in advance. Midnight Express 310-673-1100 Flies only to London. Polo Express 310-410-6822 Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, and Bangkok. No deposit, no fee. 2-week stay, except in Australia (3-weeks). Reserve 6 weeks to 3 months in advance. SOS Intl Courier 310-649-6640 Mexico Way to Go 213-466-1126/1166 6679 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 90028 Flights to Far East (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Singapore), with some flights to Mexico and London. $75/year membership fee. San Francisco office 415-292-7801; San Diego office 619-224-0252. World Travel & Tours 213-384-1000 Korea Courier Agencies in San Francisco: Gateway Express 415-344-7833 111 Anza Blvd. #418 Burlingame, CA 94010 Jupiter Air 415-872-0845, 415-872-6506 Flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manila. Polo Express 415-742-9613 Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, and Bangkok. No deposit, no fee. 2-week stay, except in Australia (3-weeks). Reserve 6 weeks to 3 months in advance. For info send SASE to Polo Express, 811 Grandview Dr., South San Francisco, CA 94080. TNT San Fransisco 415-692-9600 Call afternoons only. Hong Kong. UTL Travel 415-583-5074 Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. Way To Go 415-292-7801 Asia, London, Mexico Bahrain: Line Haul Express (0973)-258-700 Buenos Aires: Air Facility (1)-3220-7720 Canada: F.B. On Board Couriers (Montreal) 514-633-0740/0951 Courier travle to London, England. Call 9am-Noon EST for info. Located in Montreal but also serves Toronto. F.B. On Board Couriers (Toronto) 416-675-1820 Cargo only. F.B. On Board Couriers (Vancouver) 604-278-1266 Courier travel to Hong Kong from Vancouver. Jet Services 514-331-7470 Paris Germany: Line Haul +49 69 69793260 Located in Frankfurt/Main. Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, and possibly other destinations. Hong Kong: Bridges Worldwide (03)-305-1413 London, Sydney, US, Asia Great Bird Courier (03)-332-1311 Honolulu, Tokyo, Taipei Intl Courier Travel (03)-718-1332 Jupiter Air (05)-735-1886, (05)-735-1946 Asia, US, Sydney JNE (03)-736-8678 Bangkok Line Haul Express (03)-735-2167, (03)-735-2163 London, Asia, Vancouver Polo Express (03)-303-1286, (03)-303-1287 Asia, LA, Sydney Wholepoint (03)-718-0333 London: Courier Travel Service (0181)-844-2626, (0171)-351-0300 F.B. On Board Courier (0175)-368-0280 Canada Line Haul Express (0181)-759-5969 Paris: To New York Halbart Express (01)-45873230 Jet Services (01)-48626222 Rio de Janiero: Air Facility (021)-252-9597 Seoul: Jupiter Air (02)-655-6024 Sydney, Australia: Courier Travel Service (02)-698-3753 Intl Courier Travel (02)-317-3193 London Jupiter Air (02)-317-2113, (02)-317-2230 London, Asia, Auckland Polo Express (02)-693-5866 Los Angeles, Auckland Taipei: Jupiter Air (02)-551-2198 Line Haul Express (02)-731-5367 Tokyo: Line Haul Express (03)-376-98354 

Avoiding Travel SCAMs When planning a trip, here are some tips for avoiding travel scams. + Beware of unsolicited travel opportunities. + There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. If a travel opportunity sounds like a "great deal", it probably isn't. Either they'll take your money and run, or there are hidden charges. For example, many so-called "free vacations" or "vacation giveaways" require you to stay at a specific hotel -- at exorbitant rates. + Beware of extremely low-priced offers, unsolicited offers involving Florida or Hawaii, and opportunities that try to pressure you into buying on the spot. + If you're elderly, be especially careful. Scam artists will try to confuse and manipulate you. + Ask detailed questions (e.g., what is covered by the price and what isn't, whether there are any additional charges, the names of the hotels, airlines, airports, and restaurants, exact dates and times, cancellation policies, and refund policies), and get it all in writing before you buy anything. + Never give personal information, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers, or similar info to an unsolicited telephone salesperson. If you must, ask for a telephone number and call them back the next day, after you've had time to check them out. Call the Better Business Bureau and use the telephone number to verify if they're a legitimate business, and if so, whether there have been any complaints. You can also check out the company with the state attorney general's office and the local consumer protection agency. + Pay for purchases with a credit card, never with a check or money order. When you pay for purchases with a credit card, you're protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act against fraudulent charges. + Never give out your frequent flyer number over the phone, unless you initiated the call. + Don't assume that just because a company places advertisements in a newspaper or has a toll-free 800 number, it must be safe. It takes time for a company to generate enough complaints for a Federal Trade Commission to start an investigation. Moreover, not all 800 numbers are toll-free these days, and its possible for an individual to get their own toll-free number. + Do not give your tickets to anyone other than an agent of the airline at the ticketing/check-in counter, the gate, or the airlines offices. A common scam is for someone wearing a uniform similar to that of the airline to provide some excuse for taking your tickets (e.g., claiming there is a problem with the tickets). If you're not sure that someone is an airline employee, check their ID with the airline. + If you've encountered a problem, or are suspicious of an offer, call the National Fraud Information Center, a hotline operated by the National Consumers League. The number is 800-876-7060 and can be reached from 9 to 5 EDT during the week. You can also call the local Better Business Bureau, the State Bureau of Consumer Protection, and the Attorney General's Office. A good booklet to read is "Telemarketing Travel Fraud", a free publication of the Federal Trade Commission. Call 202-326-2222 for a copy, or write to Federal Trade Commission, Public Reference Branch, Room 130, Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580.

THE LIGHT WAY TO FLY CHEAP By Michael Kanellos CT Nov 23 1997 

When flying as an international air courier--the part-time job that requires almost no ability--always remember to wear plenty of luggage.

"There is no rule about how much clothing you can wear onto a plane," said Michael McColl, author of "The Worldwide Guide to Cheap Airfares" (Insider Publications; $15.95) and an expert on courier tickets, those tickets express mail companies buy so that they can send documents overseas. Couriers, he explains, cannot take check-in luggage. Ergo, "if your bulky sweaters and coats do not fit into your carry-ons, wear them onto the plane. At your seat, peel off the excess layers and put them in the overhead bins or into a spare nylon bag that you happen to have in your pocket."

Courier flights have been the Bigfoot of the international travel industry for years. Everyone has heard of the low cost tickets offered by cargo companies, but few have ever seen them, let alone used the system to their advantage.

That is unfortunate. Steve Elisberg, president of the Air Courier Association (ACA) and a Chicago area native, says that flying as a courier costs around 50 percent to 85 percent less than the lowest book-in-advance fare. "A round trip for Hong Kong out of Chicago costs $450. Many last-minute flights for 3- to 14-day stays have been available for $150," Elisberg said. London-Chicago round trips cost $450 in summer, but the price comes down to $300 every September. And, yes, depending on the airline, frequent-flier miles come attached.

Seats, moreover, come easy. Around 40,000 courier-carrying flights each year leave major U.S. cities for Europe, Asia, South America and the Pacific, according to the ACA. Thirty thousand more outbound flights leave from overseas airports as well, making it possible to leapfrog to Africa, Israel or the Gulf States for less than $1,000. Flights leaving Chicago for London or Hong Kong or from Detroit to the Far East depart almost daily. Next year, Halbart Express plans to add flights from O'Hare to Frankfurt and Paris.

Michael Marcuson, an employee at Berkeley's Easy Going Bookstore, went on a last-minute flight to Europe last year for $20. "One of my customers is an elderly woman who flies courier all the time," he said. So what's the catch? Do you have to wear a gamy "Couriers Do It Special Delivery" windbreaker? Smuggle plant or animal material through customs? Forgo the hot towels, free meals and Bauhaus silverware that the other passengers might get? Ride with the donkeys?

No. In a nutshell, a courier mostly has to sit. Express delivery companies prefer to send overnight mail as passenger baggage because it clears through customs faster than ordinary freight, which can languish for days. Federal Aviation Administration regulations, however, require that passengers accompany any passenger baggage. The courier is the passenger. Most of the time, in fact, couriers ride on airlines like TWA and United.

"In a lot of cases nowadays, they don't even see the bags," said Ed Vaz, station manager at Micom America/Jupiter Air, a 20-year-old carrier specializing in Pacific and Europe. "People ask, `How can I be sure I won't be carrying drugs?' We show them what's inside the document pouch they will be carrying and explain it. . . . I feel sorry for my people who have to answer the phone sometimes."

The courier system exists because the world has spazzed out. Following World War II, DHL figured that they could fly bills of lading, contracts and other time sensitive material as luggage on a plane rather than as cargo, explained McColl. Federal Express followed in 1971 with overnight mail. While FedEx maintains its own planes, most cargo carriers don't.

Enter the express couriers like Halbart and Jupiter, both of which fly out of Chicago and other U.S. cities. These companies serve as contract agents for the big players or serve their less popular routes. They buy commercial airline seats en masse months in advance and hence get a huge discount per seat. The courier companies typically charge the traveler less for the ticket than they paid, but make up the cost on freight.

Although the fax machine and e-mail were supposed to kill these industries, they perversely have fueled it. Now! has become the mantra of modern corporate America, its expectation, its goal--and 1,800 curly fax pages of lease agreements is just too damn many to handle.

The ACA sells information; for an annual membership fee, couriers receive flight schedules, phone numbers for booking flights and updates in a quarterly newsletter. (See box for address and phone.)

One of the best sources for information regarding courier flights and schedules is the International Association of Air Travel Couriers. The IAATC tracks courier flight schedules, routes and ticket prices on an ongoing basis and can even provide information on last-minute bookings. For a $45 annual fee, members get access to the association's databases and information on current flights, a bi-monthly newsletter that summarizes changes in the industry, and the Shoestring Traveler, another newsletter in which members swap anecdotes and advice. McColl recommends the service highly.

To the courier company, the courier is really nothing more than a slightly clever chimp. When the courier shows up, the company representative gives him or her a document bag, which contains the baggage claim and several bills of lading and a ticket. The "luggage" at this point is already checked through. At the end of the flight, the courier hands over the document pouch to another company representative and says good-bye until the return flight.

"I never felt more like a technicality than I did when I was on a courier flight," recalled Steve Rubenstein, a reporter-columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, who took an L.A.-Tokyo-Singapore flight in 1993. "The guy in L.A. did give me a receipt for something, but the guy in Tokyo said he didn't need it. And when I got to Singapore, there wasn't anyone there. . . . I waited a long time for somebody, but the customs guy said, `Oh, yeah. He already picked it up.' "

McColl confirms the rather laissez-faire attitude of the customs and courier officials. "They see this everyday," he said. His old college roommate, in fact, got stranded in Buenos Aires for several hours because the company representative failed to show. When he finally approached a customs official, they told him "Jose is in the bar. He meets all of the couriers there."

Becoming a courier is fairly simple. Felons are a definite no-go, but the job requires few qualifications beyond that. If you are 18 and have a valid passport, you are in, said Elisberg. "Casual dress is allowed," he added, "but you can't wear torn clothes or badly worn jeans."

Prior to booking a flight, most couriers must pay a nominal membership fee and fill out an application. They then can pay the "administrative fee," i.e. the price, for the ticket. Most companies require security deposits, but these generally get refunded.

What courier travel lacks sometimes is flexibility, said McColl. To get the exact departure and return dates, travelers sometimes may need to contact the courier company two to three months in advance. Even then, not all days may be available and those traveling together may have to follow each other by a day.

Time is often also compressed. Now Voyager, among others, says that most of flights require that travelers return after a week or 14 days. Thirty-day flights, while possible, are becoming more scarce.

The unforeseen can occur as well. Many companies don't issue the return ticket until the day of departure. Company representatives have been known to not show up. Other times, couriers might outnumber available seats, even with advance confirmation. Most recommend showing up at least two hours before the flight (a time lag most courier companies insist upon anyway) and keeping the telephone number of the courier office handy.

"If you're coming in from out of town, I recommend coming in a day early," added Vaz. Courier companies don't offer refunds. If travelers show up late, they lose their tickets and security deposits. But the loss to courier companies when travelers don't show up is even greater, because they have to pay extra to send employees.

Luggage remains limited too. The courier's personal luggage becomes whatever they can get into one, and sometimes two, carry-on bags. Anything more and you board dressed like Bib the Michelin Man. Mike Fleming, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service, adds that contraband is not a problem. "I'm not aware of any instances of seizures involving individuals flying as couriers for a legitimate shipping company." If someone hands you a stuffed poodle and three boxes of dried figs as the airport, however, take care.

The system, however, remains in constant flux. "They are getting a little more efficient in unloading cargo," said Vaz. Hong Kong, for example, has begun to soften due to improving port processing, he said. The ACA reports that Russia dropped off because of changes in airline regulations (although both Bejing and Kingston, Jamaica, have started up). McColl adds that Australian flights may decrease due to improved customs services and in any event have been increasing in price.

But, until civil servants and bureaucracy can catch up, a low-low advance fare will be there.

DETAILS ON BEING A COURIER - Air Courier Association, 191 University Blvd., Suite 300, Denver, Colo. 80206 (303-279-3600). There is a $30 initiation fee plus $28 annual dues. - IAATC--International Association of Air Travel Couriers, P.O. Box 1349, Lake Worth, Fla. 33460 (561-582-8320). Annual fee of $45 includes two newsletters.

- Halbart Express, 1475 Elmhurst Rd., Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007 (847-806-1250). Flights include Chicago to London with Frankfurt and Paris to be added in 1998. No initiation fee or annual dues.

- Micom America/Jupiter Air, 220 Howard Ave., Des Plaines, Ill. 60018 (847-298-3850). Flights from Chicago to Hong Kong. Initiation fee of $35 that is good for five years.

- Now Voyager, 74 Varick St., Room 307, N.Y., N.Y. 10013 (212-431-1616). Flights from Detroit to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Tokyo. Annual dues of $50.

- "The Worldwide Guide to Cheap Airfares," by Michael McColl; Insider Publications, 800-78-BOOKS; Web site is travelxn.com/wwguide

article:
"Courier Chooses Bangkok & Singapore for First Overseas Flight By Jack Sellner IAATC Member, Fremont, Cal"

Shortly after joining the IAATC I read a story by Gene Emrick in the Shoestring Traveler about a courier trip he and his wife took to Australia. I was  interested in traveling to Australia, so I got Gene's phone number from info and called him. 

We had three or four conversations, and Gene ended up sending me a copy of an article he'd written for the Shoestring Traveler about an earlier courier trip  to he made to Bangkok, which really fascinated me. So I changed my mind and  decided to go to Thailand instead. I purchased a number of guide books and a  Thai phrase book and I was ready to go.  Jupiter Air in San Francisco gave me a deal I couldn't refuse, extending my time  in Thailand to 19 days instead of the usual 12- to 13-day turnaround. 

The outbound flight to Bangkok included a stop-over in Tokyo with a free night at  the Hotel Nikko Narita with meals included. I did not refuse.  U.S. Contact Lucky for me, two weeks before my departure I met the owner of a Thai restaurant  who had been general manager at some of Bangkok's finer hotels before coming to  America. When I told him my plans to visit Bangkok he offered to make  reservations for me at the Royal Hotel.  Crossing the international dateline, I arrived in Narita, followed Jupiter's  instructions for clearing customs and immigration, and took the shuttle to the  hotel and checked into my room. It was resplendent with hot water for tea,  slippers, music, sauna, shower and all the necessary toiletries. The next  morning I breakfasted at the upscale restaurant on the second floor, dining on  the traditional Japanese New Year's Day breakfast foods of sushi, soup, steamed  vegetables, fruits, rice and tea.  I arrived in Bangkok later that night, and followed Jupiter's printed  instructions. It was a breeze! I passed the "hawkers" touting "limo rides" into  the city and took the standard taxi service (set price, no haggling necessary,  polite drivers) into dark, dank and wild Bangkok. It was hot and humid as we  winded our way for two hours toward the Royal Hotel. The National Museum, Art  Museum, Jade Buddha, Chinatown and river were all within walking distance of my  hotel. Charlie, my Thai friend back in California, had done me well.  Train North to Chiang Mai Like Gene Emrick, I too decided to take the 13 hour train ride north to Chiang  Mai, deep into the green hills for a three-day elephant safari and bamboo  rafting experience with 10 strangers and two guides (one English speaking). The  trek took us southwest of Chiang Mai toward Mae Sanang, and into the hill  villages populated by the Hmong (Meo) and Karen (Yang) Hill Tribe people. The  primitive accommodations there do not include electricity, flush toilets, hot  water or showers. The dirt roads lead to a remote village, then there is a paved  highway and finally a large city. The journey included nearly three hours of  trekking with backpacks up and down mountains, the highest being 4000 feet, and  I made it. The cost was US$60 for food, transport and the experience of it all.  In Chiang Mai I stayed at the Central Guest House, which had a mini restaurant  with an American/Thai menu (if you wanted to be lazy and not go out) and  ice-cold Thai beer. The cost was 150 bhat (US$6) per day for a single room with  a queen-size bed, fan, combo shower-toilet and luke warm water. Air conditioned  rooms were available, but were more expensive.  Peaceful Central Thailand After seven days in Chiang Mai I went south to the dry, dusty plains of Central  Thailand and the ancient architectural ruins of Sukhothai, which date back to  the 12th Century. This is the land of the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. Here you  find the Wat Mahathat, the largest temple in the city, and the Wat Si Chum, with  its massive black painted two story Buddha. Among the 14 temples you can visit  is Wat Chang Lom, with its chedi surrounded by 36 white stone elephants.  To me this historic area is the most peaceful, serene, calming, relaxing and  spiritually-uplifting place I have ever seen. It's as if Buddha truly inhabits  and protects these surroundings.  My three day stay was further enhanced by staying one of my two nights in the  Samprasong Guest House on the west bank of the Yom River. This guest house was  spotlessly clean and you had to remove your footwear upon entering each time.  There were highly-polished teak wood floors, clean rooms with clean sheets and pillow cases, towels and soap, wash basins and showers with hot and cold water at the end of the hall. My room with a fan was 50 baht (US$2) per day! I had a dress shirt mended, washed and ironed for 5 baht (20 cents). 

I ate my meals from street vendors along one of the main streets. A breakfast of  coffee and a bowl of hot soup costs no more than 60. For a late meal I dined on  sliced roasted chicken, vegetables and rice with a brothy soup for 15 baht (60  cents). A large 22-ounce Singha beer was 40 baht (US$1.60) from the corner  convenience market.  Street Vendors are Best Value I ate local food from the street vendors during the entire journey, except when  on planes or in the hotel in Narita. No burgers, pizza or ham and eggs. Street  food in Thailand is inexpensive, well prepared and seldom if ever do you need to  worry about rotten or spoiled food. The local people eat at these vendors, who  rely on these concessions for their sole income. If bad food is served the  police are called and immediate action is taken.  From Central Thailand I took the air conditioned bus back to Bangkok. Since I  had time to spare and had never been to Singapore, I decided to take a courier  flight there. When I first arrived in Bangkok I had called Siam Trans  International (Jupiter's office in Bangkok) and spoke with Ms. Siriat, who was  able to book me on a courier flight aboard Thai Airways to Singapore for 3500  baht (US$140) roundtrip.  Courier Flight Within a Courier Flight Singapore is everything you have ever heard or read about and more. Clean,  clean, clean. The airport was spotless. Public mass transportation, all I ever  used there (bus or MRT), were clean to spotless. No garbage or trash is thrown  on the streets; doing so results in a fine! No chewing gum; another fine! And a  huge anti-smoking campaign ensures that there is no smoking in buses and public  buildings. Travelers are not even allowed to bring cigarettes through customs.  Again luck was with me. Using the free hotel reservation service desk at the  airport, I got one of the last "reasonable" rooms remaining in a city known for  its very expensive hotels. I stayed at the Mayfair City Hotel for about US$45,  which I considered a bargain since it was very late on a Friday night and the  town was filled for the weekend.  The Mayfair City Hotel is located in the Colonial District and is within easy  walking distance of the National Museum, National Art Gallery, the huge Raffles  City Center, Raffles Hotel, the Singapore River, Clark Quay and numerous places  to dine.  I had the obligatory and famous Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel for S$15  (US$10), which was expensive. But almost everything is more expensive in  Singapore than in the rest of Southeast Asia. I rode the MRT east to Jurong Town  and the famous Jurong Bird Park. It boasts the world's highest man-made  waterfall and has a comfortable air-conditioned monorail from which to view the  park if you don't wish to walk the entire area, which is quite large. My last  night I took the cable car from Mount Faber at the World Trade Center, over the  beach resort island of Sentosa and returned. At night the view is simply  spectacular.  Breturn to Bangkok I returned to Bangkok for four more days, took in a Thai kick-boxing match at  Lumphini Park, strolled through the streets of the Banglamphu and enjoyed eating  at my favorite food stalls. Then I hopped my return courier flight to San  Francisco.  This was my first taste of international travel, except for jaunts to Mexico,  and I learned three tips worth passing on:  1) Try to speak with other travelers -- especially couriers -- who have gone  where you wish to go and ask them for their tips and suggestions and details of  where they went and what they did.  2) Do your homework. Read travel guides, tourist association hand-outs, and  travel articles on the areas where you plan to go. They will save you money and  time.  3) Take a bar of soap, toilet paper and a towel with you if you're traveling in Asia. Those necessities are often not provided at budget hotels or when you're traveling off the beaten path. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jack Sellner likes to hear from other couriers. You can write to him at P.O. Box 308, Fremont, CA 94536. 

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