Vocation Vacations: Trip on a Deal

This week you can trip on a deal, digging for buried treasure in the island if Curacao. Taking a vocation vacation, or swimming in the world’s largest pool in Chile. And, the world’s strangest museums. Plus, the first tourist hit Iraq. That and more on this week’s, Trip on a Deal.

There has been a lot of Incan newspapers about Iraq since 1990, but not much in the travel section. One tour company is trying to change all that. Hinterland Travel believes Iraq has made a big turn around, and they say the mood in the country is upbeat, vibrant, and improving everyday. Currently, operator Jeff Hahn expects that a sixteen to seventeen day tour is efficient, but tourists need to be flexible in dates and itineraries.

The New York Times reports the first tour just returned, and has an amazing video of their trip on their site. Just how safe is it considering that minor detail of a war going on? The ministry of a tourism offered the tour company armed guards, but they were denied. They chose to drive around Iraq in a minibus.

If you are feeling really adventurous, the tour is starting around $2800, land only, with absolutely no possibility with no travel insurance.

Now, somewhere in the Caribbean, there is a great treasure. At the midtown, Manhattan, at the Essex house, and the tourism department at the island of Curacao. They have buried $500,000, somewhere on the island of Curacao. They are going to send 10 people on a crazy scavenger hunt, like an amazing race, in just a few months. Ten people on a treasure hunt, going on the hill, beaches, hotels, to find the keys to open up that treasure. And not only is there hidden treasure at the Sands of Curacao, but they are giving away seventy free trips to American tourists, one a day, over the next 70 days, if you log on to CuracaoTreasure.com.

Now, here is a neat vacation idea, vocation vacation. Spend a few days driving your dream career, with the help of a mentor. VocationVacations.com offers a 125 careers:

• TV Producer
• Chocolatier
• Dude Rancher
• Boat Captain
• Yoga Instructor
• Architect

Now it does take about one to three days of your time, and about $500 to $3000. Who knows, with your newfound experience, maybe you can find someone to pay you for the same thing later.

There are a lot of tools out there on Facebook and other sites that allow you to show the world where you have been. The virtual pen and map kind of thing, but many of them are complex downloading which most of us are not too keen about. Enter 29Travels.com, it’s a simple tool. Just check the countries you have been too, then copy and past the code to your webpage. Takes no time at all. Now, getting to all those countries so you can fill in the map, that make take a little more time. That is the fun part.

The picture of the week comes from Algarrobo Chile. It is the world’s largest swimming pool. Twenty acres total. It cost 4 billion dollars to build. The deepest part 115 feet. It is all part of the Alfonso Del Mar Resort . They even let sailboats on the pool.

A list of really strange museums compiled by uncoached.com. There is the museum of bad art, a.k.a MOBA, in Massachussetts, with engaging pieces like Gerez, the clown, and another one called, In the Cat’s Mouth. It is so deep. Then there is the museum of odd socks, for knitters everywhere to display and name their work. Yes, name their work. So these socks are called the tales of woe. Another one, the Virtual Banana Museum, in Auburn Washington. It is typically dedicated to bananas. With great moments in banana history, including rare , racy 1920’s banana photos. It just captures the moment.

Log on to TripOnADeal.com to trip on a deal.

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