It seems like everyday there is a new travel search website.  So when I first heard of vayama.com I did not pay close attention. But when booking an international trip I became quickly frustrated by the options offered to me by Orbitz, Travelocity and the other big search sites.

The source of my frustration was the fact that most travel search websites do not let you book international trips that originate outside of the US, and if they do, the results are limited.  

That is where vayama.com came in to rescue the day.  Vayama specializes in international travel….and not just getting you out of the US, they also can help you find flights abroad. 

Flights can be found the traditional way of typing in your starting and ending cities, or for those visually inclined, you can use their map tool to plan your trip.  Using the map tool is as easy as clicking on your departure and arrival destinations….and once the flight is booked, you can see any stopovers nicely mapped out to make a quick decision if you really want to stop in Denver, Chicago, New York and London…to get to Paris for $100 less than the non-stop option. 

Other interesting features are the interactive 3D seat map, where you can really get a sense of where in the cattle heard you will be squeezed in….of course the fabulous folks in business/first need not worry.

As for booking hotel and car rental, you can search for them on vayama, but you are redirected to kayak.com for the results….click here to read my review of Kayak.

When booking this last trip to Morocco, I did not realize that the holy month of Ramadan was taking place until after I purchased my non-refundable airline tickets. For those who do not know, during the month of Ramadan, muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

At first I was panic stricken when I discovered we would be in a Muslim country during Ramadan.  Would we starve?…..how could we last in 100℉ without a drop of water all day?……would we be looked down upon if we did eat?

I then launched a full-fledged online research mission to see what others who had crossed the line had to say.  Comments I found were mixed, but tended to lean on the side of “don’t go during Ramadan.” But at this point, the trip was booked and I had no choice…..so I stopped researching and hoped for the best.

As it turns out, going during Ramadan was a blessing instead of a curse.  The normally jam-packed streets of Marrakech are a bit calmer due to the fact that many tourists are scared-off by Ramadan and many Moroccans use this month to vacation elsewhere.

Moroccans are very respectful of other cultures and understand that westerners do not fast, so eating during the day was not a problem.  But in all actuality, we found that with having a big breakfast in the hotel we were fine waiting until sundown for the next meal…..and as Moroccans tend to over-feed, it was good to have an empty stomach for dinner.

Above is a Moroccan Berber preparing mint tea for us in a small village outside of Marrakech.  Although he was fasting he was eager to share his culture with us and quench our thirst on a hot Moroccan afternoon.

Jet Blue having a 10% off flights sale.  Follow this link and enter Promotion Code: Oct08

Last week I wrote about the Nokia N810 internet tablet, which is how I write posts from the road.  Although the N810 has a built in keyboard, it is not meant for extensive typing….that is where the “igo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard” comes in handy (the name is bigger than the gadget itself).

The igo Stowaway keyboard weighs in at a measly 6 oz. and is only 5.5″x3.9″x0.5″ when folded. This pint-sized contraption folds out to provide a full sized keyboard and works with most Blackberrys or PDAs.

The design is so sleek it was featured in the Design Collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The keyboards can be found on amazon for under $70, click here to get one today.

Shopping in a foreign currency can seem like an elementary school math test at times…..and pulling out a calculator in a posh store can make you feel like the school dork.

To solve these dilemmas, I found the answer at Staples in the form of a mini calculator key chain.  I attached the calculator to the zipper of my daypack and was able to discretely convert prices into my home currency whenever necessary.

These keychains are usually available in a bucket at the checkout counters of Staples, but just in case I have included a link to an amazon store that has a similar product….