Travel Collectables: Stickers, Beer Labels and Magnets
You may have read down the years how I always try to collect souvenirs on my travels. For example, when I backpacked around the world, I would always buy a fridge magnet for my Mum, send a postcard to my youngest brother Daniel and occasionally I would buy random gifts for my Dad, my brother Marko and my sister Cathy. For myself, I would collect banknotes, coins and stamps from every country.
Travel Collectables banknotesShopping in Erbil Bazaar and finding some Saddam Hussein banknotes.Iraqi banknotesSome of Myanmar’s crazyish numbered banknotes such as the 45 and 90 Kyat notes – no longer in existence.
My Beer Travel Collection
I also enjoy drinking and trying new beers in unusual and quirky places and as such I try to avoid the global, commercial excremental brand names. Each time I tried a new beer in a country, I’d write it down, I’d try to remember to take a photo of it, keep the bottle top (if it was a bottle), peel the label off and stick it in my album, as well as trying to find a beer mat or coaster for that beer!
More random beer labels including Aguila from Colombia.Blue Girl, Joburg Beer, Castle and Windhoek…some of my many beer labels from my travels!Travel collectables on Don’t Stop Living – beer labels!
My Travel Sticker Collection
Having owned a few physical items on my travels, I also started collecting travel stickers. My old guitar and laptop had stickers stuck on them, from places I had been. Since I don’t own a suitcase though, I don’t actually have anywhere to put these stickers while I’m travelling. So now, I simply buy them in places I go, and later in life will consider what I should do with them.
My Travel Embroidered Flag Collection
In 2006, my parents bought me a green fleece with Northern Ireland on it. Gradually I started to buy iron on embroidered patches and put them on this fleece. It started with just a few and then it grew and grew and grew until I had over 100 iron on patches! I started buying the flags of each country I visited as well as any significant regions or quirky badges that took my fancy.
My Stamp Collection
I have over 1000 stamps! I have collected them for years, even before I became a long term backpacker. These days, everytime I see a cool new stamp in a new country, I buy it for the collection. I even have stamps from Adammia, Christiania and Uzupis, a hat-trick of unrecognised countries!
Stamps of the Sovereign Military Order of MaltaStamps from the Vatican City StateRare Nagorno Karabakh stamps!
My Mum’s Fridget Magnet Collection
I try to buy my Mum a fridge magnet from every new country, or even city or town if significant enough. This even has included custom magnets down the years. Basically my Mum has more fridge magnets than will ever fill a fridge and her current fridge is not even metal so those fridge magnets are now in a box! But I’m always looking for a new magnet for Mum!
Travel Collectables: My Mums Fridge MagnetsBuy my Mum a Fridge MagnetSome of my Mum’s many fridge magnets from around the world.Fridge magnets for my Mum
You might have seen my travel collectables series the last few years. I am a collector and I love to have physical as well as mental and emotional memories from each place I go. Every country, disputed territory or significant region I visit, I try to adhere strictly to my own rules of collecting or doing, by sticking to my list. I have 10 Things I try to do in EVERY country I visit. And this rule even applies to smaller countries, disputed countries, significant regions and unknown states such as the Republic of Uzupis and Transnistria.
Travel Collectables: Banknotes from over a century of countries
In short, from all of the 120 regions/countries/fake countries I’ve been to, I have tried to do all of these: 1. Keep at least one local banknote
I love the fact that currency brings with it culture, history and knowledge. Each banknote has significance to it. There are reasons why monuments and people’s faces are on the notes – ask about them. I try to keep at least one banknote from every country that issues them/that did issue them.
Bangladesh banknotes from my recent trip there
I detest the dreaded Euro currency with a passion. Germany was once great with its Deutsch marks, Portugal manned the Escudos, Spain dealt out the Pesetas and the Irish Republic bought pints with punts. Those countries succumbed to the opposite of nationalism, counter-nationalism. A dilution of ones culture and history. Thankfully I come from Northern Ireland, where you can still use a banknote with Geordie Best on it (but I’d keep it if I were you!).
A George Best £5 note
2. Keep at least one local coin
Again coins are a fantastic souvenir to keep, all with significance. There are some countries that issue coins but no banknotes. Examples of this include Christiania (the LON) which makes an awesome souvenir.
A 1 LON coin – legal tender in Freetown ChristianiaA 1 LON coin – legal tender in Freetown Christiania
3. Keep at least one local stamp
I post my brother a postcard from every country and while I’m in the Post Office getting the stamps, I try to keep at least one local stamp for myself as well. Cheap, colourful, meaningful and easy to transport.
Posting a postcard and buying stamps in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq.
4. Post at least one postcard (brother, girlfriend, parents)
My youngest brother Danny gets one postcard from everywhere I go. His collection must amount to over 150 by now and I still do it. I also send them to my Mum, Dad, girlfriend and other friends and family on occasion. Another good option is the company Race it Home.
Some of my brother’s postcards from around the globe.
5. Buy at least one fridge magnet (Mum)
My Mum has a fridge and when I started travelling I decided to get her one fridge magnet from every cool location I went, so she now has almost 200, and probably at some point will need another fridge!
My Mum with some of her collection of fridge magnets from around the world.
6. Keep at least one beer label (some countries without alcohol, I keep a malt drink label)
I love trying new beers in every country/region and it’s one of the first things on my list especially if it’s after a long border crossing. I have become an expert at taking off the beer labels and sticking them in a book.
Some of my beer labels!
7. Keep at least one beer bottle cap (some countries without alcohol, I keep a malt drink top)
As with the beer labels, when I’m drinking bottled beer, I always try to keep a beer bottle top from each new beer I try. In alcohol free countries like Brunei and Iran, I try to take a malted soft drink top instead.
Some of my beer bottle tops from around the world
8. Get a passport stamp in my passport or on a piece of card
With the exception of places like Jordan, Israel and Nagorno Karabakh, I try to get a passport stamp everywhere I go. However, for the disputed countries I normally just ask them to stamp it on a separate page to solve the issue, something I covered before in my Jordan to Israel borders article. Some countries in the EU refuse to stamp passports, ask them nicely and they’ll normally do it. I have my favourite passport stamps on another article. And I never worry about the passports filling up – I love to fill them up. If it gets too full, I just buy another passport or use my dual nationality to my advantage.
My recent Faroe Islands exit stamp
9. Visit a football stadium
I’m sure somebody like Maradona, Pele or Messi will hold a record on who has visited the most football stadiums around the world, or been in the most countries visiting a stadium. But I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m coming in right behind them.
Inside the National Football Stadium in Dili, East Timor.
I’ve visited national football stadiums in over 90 of the countries I’ve been to, watching football live in over 30 of them and always trying to get a kickabout or visit a new stadium.
Watching AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court in Boscombe, England
10. Visit a local religious building
Whether you like it or not, people are religious and religion has fascinatingly taken over our journeys around the world. Think of how Belfast has a peace line because of religion, how Americans don’t like backpacking in Iraq, how the British get questioned in Argentina, how a Malaysia stamp will have you being strip searched on entry to Israel. I love Mosques, Churches, Synagogues, Temples etc. and I always try to visit one per country. Almost every country in the world has some kind of religious building in it.
This is probably the most blatant bit of advertising in living history on Don’t Stop Living, but I will tell you it’s only for fun and I only make 10% of the cost of these orders – other companies take the rest (except my e-Books). Last year I launched a mini Don’t Stop Living shop with the logo on a few products. So far I have three products for sale on there. Remember it’s just for fun, neither myself nor you should take this too seriously. I don’t over promote any of these or make much money on them, but I’m putting them all on one blog post so you can see them together. I was fed up seeing people wearing designer brand labels so I got in on the act and have released my backpacker brand name. At the moment, I only have 5 products for sale but there will be more to come and I’m always open for suggestions.
Don’t Stop Living brand name products
1. Don’t Stop Living Postcards
Send your loved ones a postcard from anywhere in the world with the Don’t Stop Living logo on it. One of my favourite quotes “You turn around and life’s passed you by” (From the Doves) appears next to the brand and logo. You can also get custom made stamps.
Dont Stop Living postcard frontDont Stop Living postcard back
2. Don’t Stop Living Ties
Everybody knows how the perception of backpackers is to be cheap and badly dressed, so why not join the party in style with a Don’t Stop Living tie. Ideal for weddings, backpacking trips and business meetings. Ricky Gervais wore one * in the office. I’ve crossed borders wearing ties.
3. Don’t Stop Living T-Shirt
Live the fucking dream by backpacking through a century of countries with your very own Don’t Stop Living T-shirt. It only has the logo on it – we want people to ask you what DSL stands for.
4. My First Ever Travel Blog
My first ever travel blog is still available as a mini e-Book. It was written back in 1991 and contains the original text plus a 2015 reflection on my first backpacking trip to the Netherlands.
My First Ever Travel Blog: School Trip to the Netherlands, 1991
5. The Backpacker’s Guide to the Inca Trail
So many people go to Peru and cheat by getting a bus, train or bicyle to Machu Picchu. This book tells you how to do it the proper way – 4 days of epic hiking through the valleys and sleeping in tents before waking up on the final morning to watch mist rise or sunrise over Machu Pichu, knowing you have earned your right to be there more than the bus brigade.
The Backpackers Guide to the Inca Trail by Jonny Blair
If anyone buys a Don’t Stop Living t-shirt or tie and wears it in all seven continents, or over 20 different countries, take a legit photograph of you wearing it in each place and I’ll refund you the money and take you for a night out when I’m in your town.
Don’t Stop Living is not yet an independent country, so the football shirt and national stadium tours will have to wait. Safe travels!
Top 5 Ways I Contact my Family and Friends When Travelling
If you have followed my journeys on here since the site’s birth, you will know I how much technology and I are not friends. I personally hate small gadgets. I detest “tablets” with a passion and assume the name only to be associated with medication. Time after time I refused to own any type of phone, once preaching that no backpacker should ever own a Smart Phone. In Australia I didn’t even have a phone for half my time in the country, never mind one that can take photos or play music. Again and again and again this week another lapdog broke meaning I’ve gone through 6 lapdogs [sic] in 8 years of travel blogging as well as 12 hard drives. Technology is my best friend and my worst enemy. I couldn’t run this website without a lapdog or the internet, but yet technology always lets me down. Always. I would kick some ass as a travel blogger if I could find a working lapdog believe me. These days I’ve a huge confession to make – I now own and know how to use a Smartphone. I’m on Instagram and What’s App and this week I’ve even sent emails from a Smartphone. I hated it of course, but it was that or nothing as I sort out my upcoming travels and face more setbacks with my Backpacking Centurion book launch. When I get my new laptop (OK so it’s not a dog) this weekend, expect a barrage of blog posts, better updates and some changes round here.
Ways to keep touch with friends and family
In the meantime these are my personal 5 favourite ways to contact my family and friends when I travel.
1. Postcards
Everywhere I go I always send my brother a postcard as a physical memory of the place I have been. I also love visiting the post office and getting stamp as souvenirs of that country. You can also use the company Race It Home to send the postcards.
My brother’s postcards from Honduras including Tegucigalpa…
2. Letters/Cards
I come from a traditional family and we still send each other cards and letters. Every Christmas and Birthday I send my parents, brothers and sister a card and they do the same for me. However with my friends we normally wish each other Happy Birthday on Facebook because they move about like me and I don’t always know where they live.
Birthday cards, my Guinness in Malaysia, 2013
3. Skype
For me, Skype is my favourite way to contact my family when I travel. I was recently in Tallinn in Estonia and I found out that the quirky Estonians invented Skype. I use it every week.
My Dad plays guitar to me from Northern Ireland to Australia
4. E-mail
Of course email is probably the most common communication method these days by modern travellers. But it lacks soul, emotion and feeling because you do not see or hear the person or receive a physical letter. Despite this, I email my family once a week at least. Facebook and Twitter are my means of keeping up to date with friends and I use different ways to follow football.
Emailling on my travels
5. Smartphones
A late entry and an unexpected one for you all, but I am here now, I’ve finally joined the Smart Phone generation. Yes I am a budget backpacker who owns a Smartphone. While I don’t use it everyday, especially not to make calls, I’ve worked out how to use the camera on it (will use it for Instagram and Whats App only) and the internet. You can also easily buy an International Sim card for as cheap as $19. Lots of backpackers love to buy this card because they are travelling through different countries and changing mobile networks frequently. An International Sim Card saves time, effort and the money.
Quick take a photo. I’m using a Smart Phone!
I’ll update again as soon as I can and from a new lapdog/top. Safe travels.
Hey everyone, you might have read my article before on how much I love postcards? And the fact remains that everywhere I go I hunt down a Post Office, buy some stamps and make sure I post my youngest brother a postcard from everywhere I go. Here’s a photo of young Danny with just some of his postcards – he must have well over 200 now from over 100 countries around the world.
My kid brother and ‘some’ of his postcards I’ve posted him from around the world!
While I continue to post him postcards and enjoy the culture of it, there are new ways to save the hassle, time and the money! It costs twice as much to send a traditional postcard back to the UK from places like Italy and France than it does to send one more than 5,000 miles home from Mexico, as revealed by handy postcard app, ‘Race It Home’ .
Race it Home is a cool Apple and Android app, which allows users to send their holiday snaps as personalised postcards without the hassle of searching for foreign stamps and postcards, never mind trying to locate post offices. They compared the price of average postcard and stamp costs across 12 popular holiday destinations. Incredibly, it costs just £1.08 to send ‘Wish You Were Here’s’ from Cancun, however it can take up to three weeks for the postcard to arrive. France and Italy cost £2.19 per average postcard, which compared to the £1.94 price for reporting home from the US, does come as a surprise.
Understandably, costs from Australia are high, topping the chart at a whopping £2.25. The Maldives seems amazingly affordable given the distance, at £1.28 per postcard, however they can take up to two weeks to arrive. I’ve had postcards take 6 months to arrive from Johannesburg and Port Lockroy in Antarctica before!
Posting a postcard in the wilderness at Port Lockroy in Antarctica.
Race It Home’ is a hassle free way of sending proper postcards back home. Simply take a photo on your camera or phone, write a message and the guys at Race It Home do all the hard work!
Race It Home: A Cool New Way To Send Postcards!
Within minutes your postcard will be printed out in the UK printing station of Race it Home and it is then popped in the UK post. Your recipient will receive the postcard in days, not the traditional weeks! They also offer a choice of A5 or A6 postcards and standard or priority postage (read – first or second class).
Race It Home is cheaper than buying postcards and stamps abroad, with credits from just 99p which can be purchased before jetting off. Recipients’ addresses can also be saved in advance to make it even easier to send personalised holiday snap postcards whilst relaxing by the poolside. Users simply snap a photo, type in a brief message and select a friend. The app automatically recognises which country the user is in and adds the relevant flag to the reverse of the postcard. Then comes the really clever bit: the cards are printed in the United Kingdom within hours and popped into the postal system. This ensures they take only 1-5 days to arrive (depending on the delivery service chosen), ensuring that the postcard always wins the race back home.
A new invention in the world of postcards
So this is for sure a new innovative way to send postcards and I’ll be testing it out on one of my brother’s next cards.
Top 5 Passport Stamps from my travels through 99 countries.
So as I near my 100th actual real life country, I thought it was a good time for a post on my personal favourite passport stamps from the first 99 countries on my route. It has been a long journey through the years, weary long and slow border crossings, huge visa delays, forms filled in incorrectly, overstaying of visas etc. There are some countries that now don’t give passport stamps anymore, some borders that don’t feel like borders but still the joys of a passport stamp and the entering of a new country always excite me. Any excuse for another entry in my Travel Collectables series. Incidentally (and perhaps ironically) some of my top 5 stamps are not even countries, but just cool stamps I’ve had! These are my top 5 so far, just the passport stamps, not the visas (which will be a separate post for visas).
I got my passport stamped in French Guyana at St Georges de Loyapock .
1. Port Lockroy, Antarctica
I’d already been in Antarctica for a few days by the time we reached the British Base at Port Lockroy and it was now time to head to the Post Office, post some postcards and get my passport stamped. It was on Remembrance Day 2010, a moment I’ll never forget. Make sure you have a Visa for Antarctica though, as you don’t want to get kicked out amongst the icebergs!
Top 5 Passport Stamps: Port Lockroy, AntarcticaTouring Antarctica
2. Republic of Uzupis
The self proclaimed zany Republic of Uzupis was one of my most recent passport stamps. This country has its own money (the Uzas), its own beer, its own flag, entrance sign and border, from Lithuania. Even though Uzupis is still within the city of Vilnius! I enjoyed exploring the key sights of arty Uzupis.
Top 5 Passport Stamps: UzupisWorld Borders: Crossing into the Republic of Uzupis
3. Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
My favourite thing about the Iraqi Kurdistan stamp is the date. We flew into the capital city, Erbil on New Year’s Eve ready for the huge new year party and what a party it was – New Year’s Eve in Iraq. Despite what you might think, visiting Iraq is easier than expected – you can certainly visit the Kurdistani part of Iraq without a visa, either overland or by flying into Erbil or Sulaymaniyeh, as we did.
Top 5 Passport Stamps: Erbil, Iraqi KurdistanBackpacking in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.
4. Machu Picchu, Peru
It was always a dream of mine to hike the four day Inca Trail all the way to Machu Picchu in Peru and what an adventure it was. This is another stamp I love because of the date. We arrived into Machu Picchu on Christmas morning with the mist coming up. It was simply amazing. It was the 25th December 2010 which is stamped on my Machu Picchu passport stamp. I’ve written a detailed storyline of my Inca Trail on 25 different articles, starting with Day 1 Part 1.
My special Christmas Day passport stamp at Machu PicchuChristmas Day at Machu Picchu in Peru!
5. San Marino City, San Marino
I think San Marino City is the only place on my travels where I paid to have my passport stamped. It’s not essential – you can cross the border from Italy no problem without a passport but I wanted it as a souvenir at the time so I headed to the post office. San Marino is also the world’s oldest Republic and a cool country to backpack in. Sorry the photos a bit faded – this is the only one I had – the passport ink ran out in a lot of my old stamps.
Top 5 Passport Stamps: San Marino CityEnjoying the snow in San Marino City!
So as I renew my passports, apply for a few more visas, I can’t help but wonder where my next passport stamp will be. As ever. It excites me to travel the world and pick up more travel collectables along the way.
Where have you had the quirkiest or coolest passport stamps from (not visas)?
Our Stay at the Elegant Lady Hamilton Hotel in Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden
Having visited Stockholm, Sweden back in 2007, it was time for my return to the country on my latest Baltics and Nordics tour. After travelling separate for about three weeks, I was reunited with my girlfriend Panny and we agreed we wanted a decent hotel for a few nights to relax in a bit of elegance and luxury so we found a chain of three elegant and exquisite hotels known as The Collector’s Hotels. All based in the Gamla Stan, Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden. Of the three hotels (Lord Nelson, Victory and Lady Hamilton), we opted to stay at the Lady Hamilton and this was the perfect choice providing us with one of the best hotel rooms in our long adventures backpacking the globe. Travel never ceases to amaze me.
The Lady Hamilton Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden
I had had a great time in Finland and Estonia but business wise and on a personal level I was fatigued and not feeling great so the perk up by our stay at the Lady Hamilton was important to us. When you walk into your suite at the Lady Hamilton you will know why. This is a special hotel series, romantic to the core, antique in decoration and homely in spirit. A charm which wouldn’t go amiss in those ugly “4star” hotels in Rio de Janeiro and the worst hotel of my travels so far in Ushuaia.
Antique boatsLady Hamilton and an anchor
Some History of Lady Hamilton and the Collector Hotels
The Hotel is named after Lady Emma Hamilton, the beautiful English mistress of Lord Nelson, the famous English naval hero. The building is listed for its cultural significance, and dates back to the 1470s, the time of Sten Sture the Elder. The hotel building was intially three separate properties. A merchant named Lorens Erdtman eventually bought them and converted them into one single building. Majlis and Gunnar Bengtsson purchased the property in 1975 and saw the splendour and turned it into a hotel. Lady Hamilton’s cellar even contains a 15th century well! This entitled the owner to a lower fire insurance premium in the 18th century. The well is now used as a plunge pool in which hotel guests can cool off after taking a sauna.
Exterior of the Lady Hamilton Hotel
I hope when you read this you will feel inspired to stay here, especially for couples. Here are my personal top ten things about this hotel.
1. Privacy and Luxury
We had our own private luxury room. We don’t always get that – we had been in and out of dorms in Estonia and Lithuania and to have a private room which is spacious and cosy was important for us both. Yes we are still budget backpackers but yes we are a couple who enjoy a private luxury room. Especially as this was our first ever night together in Scandinavia and I was feeling down.
Our private luxury room at the Lady Hamilton Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden
2. Antique Feel The hotel has that instant antique feel about it. When you arrive in the reception it’s a time warp thanks to the vintage collection of items all around you. This is because the owners of the Collectors Hotels, the Bengtssons are part of a family who for years have collected antiques the world over. Gunnar Bengtsson was at number 5 in the list of world collectors.
Antiques and ornaments everywhere in Lady Hamilton Hotel
3. Gamla Stan Location
Gamla Stan is the Old Town in Stockholm. It’s actually quite a small island but the fact that the Lady Hamilton Hotel is based on the island, means you don’t need to walk far to cover all the sights. Of course other parts of Stockholm are cool and I will write about that more on my posts about the bus tour and boat cruises we did with Stromma.se.
Touring Old Town Stockholm – Gamla Stan.
4. Washing Machine
As long term travellers you might notice that our clothes are often from the same batch. But don’t worry we do laundry of course. Even better in the Lady Hamilton as we had our own washing machine in the room and the privacy to get everything washed before moving on. Not all rooms have this facility by the way but ours did and laundry service is of course available.
Great invention – the washing machine!
5. Full Working Kitchen
Each night in the Lady Hamilton we cooked and prepared our own meals. The kitchen is probably the most fully equipped kitchen since our stay in Xanadu in Belize. Massive fridge and freezer too to store your food.
Full working kitchen for cooking in.
6. Wifi
Wifi is fast in Sweden. Faster than I’d expected. Of course this happened to be in the week I was writing most of my book when my 2nd computer in 3 months broke for the 10th time. Thankfully I had Panny’s laptop for a few days to make use of the WiFi here in the room at the Lady Hamilton.
My desk for work and WiFi.
7. Cosy Double Bed
Finally a decent night’s sleep here at the Lady Hamilton Hotel!
The cosy double bed in our room.
8. Same Age as Me
I learned that the Lady Hamilton opened in 1980, the same year I was born. This was the first time I remember that I was staying in a hotel the exact same age as me.
Lady Hamilton and I
9. Substantial Breakfast
Instead of writing about how good the breakfast was, I’ll just tell you we loved it and went up for more, including waffles and coffee as a dessert after the main. Here are some photos of what was a totally substantial breakfast.
10. Champagne and Chocolates
Our arrival had the biggest surprise with champagne and chocolates waiting on the table. I have had major issues with my websites and laptops the last 6 months and in the worst week for a long time, this was a staggering perk up for me. Cheers!
Champagne and chocolates on arrival.Champagne at the Lady Hamilton.
So we had two excellent nights in the Lady Hamilton Hotel and loved it. The other Collector’s Hotel are the Victory and the Lord Nelson. They suit all types of travellers with the Victory being the most luxurious one, and the Lord Nelson the more budget option. So if I do return to Sweden’s capital sometime, I’ll definitely pick one of those two hotels to sample next time. Here are the details for booking:
It’s time for another instalment of travel collectables. I write about things I pick up and collect on my travels, before I’ve written about t-shirts, banknotes, country patches, beer labels etc. But it’s time for me to move over…my Mum’s Fridge Magnet collection!
Travel Collectables: Fridge Magnets – my Mums!!
It was a few years ago while in Ljubljana in Slovenia that I bought my Mum a fridge magnet. That was 2008. Slowly but surely, I decided that to keep things consistent and rather than bombard her with random gifts, I’d simply buy her a fridge magnet from everywhere I went. So that way she gets the same present from all these random world locations I jaunt to. For the first few years though, I was travelling light and didn’t even buy gifts for myself. But in the last 2-3 years I’ve caught up and I now make sure I buy her a fridge magnet from every country at least, and within each country at least a few places, if they are worthy of a place on my Mum’s fridge!
Some of my Mum’s many fridge magnets from around the world.
I haven’t been back to Northern Ireland much recently – twice in the last 3 years, but I always somehow have a load of fridge magnets in my backpack ready to give my Mum.
Fridge magnets for my Mum
Over the years, I’ve been to a load of touristy and also untouristy spots and one consistent souvenir they all have is a fridge magnet, as well as postcards.
My Mum with some of her collection of fridge magnets from around the world.
So my way to showing my Mum the places I have been and for her to enjoy my journeys is now to present her with a magnet and tell her what that place was like, where I bought it and show her some photos.
Travel Collectables: My Mums Fridge Magnets
I hope to fill my Mum’s fridge completely with these. I believe everyone that travels, and whose parents don’t travel as much, you should make an effort to buy your family or parents at least one souvenir from each spot. A fridge magnet is a small, consistent, pictorial and inexpensive reminder of my journeys and I love going “fridge magnet shopping for my Mum”!
Here are some fridge magnets my Mum has:
– Harbour at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
– North Korean flag from Kaesong
– Lijiang Old Town, China
– Papik Tatik from Nagorno Karabakh
– Lake Bled, Slovenia
Selfie with my Mum and her fridge magnets.
A few travel tips about fridge magnets for you:
– Shop around before buying
– Bargain the price down (you almost always can)
– Avoid buying them in airports (unless, as has happened to me sometimes, I forgot to buy a fridge magnet from that place)
– If you see one you like, it’s possible you won’t see that exact one again, BUY IT so sometimes you have to buy on impulse
– Carry them in hand luggage if you can
– Keep them away from laptops, hard drives etc. – it’s not recommended to have magnets near these types of electronics
As I backpack my way through South and Central America the next few months, I aim to build my Mum’s fridge magnet collection even more. Even better, in less than 4 weeks I’ll be meeting my Mum and Dad in Brazil on my travels!
