Bill Wiatrak is a travel author, entertainer and video producer of travel content. He is visiting every country in the world.
(Reprinted from Houstonia magazine August 2015-) I AM 16. My mother has decided to take her three kids on a road trip to Utah, sans Dad, to visit some friends south of Provo. It is the 1970s, somehow we all fit in a VW Beetle, and miraculously the tiny car makes it through the Montana mountains, Idaho, Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, which is...
Imagine a place where most people don’t use the Internet; A country where ATMs don’t accept your credit cards; A destination where everyone uses money that’s different than the money you’re using. Welcome to Cuba! At this moment, I’m relaxing after a long day of walking around Havana and it’s amazing and frustrating, beautiful and not-so-beautiful all at the same...
There’s been something weird going on with Cuba and the US for a long long time. Cuba and the US have never had a war to speak of, but for over 50 years we’ve been imposing economic sanctions and not allowing any citizens to visit. You could actually end up in jail for visiting the country or even trying to bring in a Cuban cigar through customs (no...
I’m sitting in a beautiful hotel room at a ski resort as I write this. It is the best hotel in town and has a cigar bar, billiards room, Turkish bath, amazing views and is right next to the ski lifts.The breakfast buffet is delicious, infinite and included with the room. It’s the most expensive hotel anywhere around at $100/night. I’d pay five times...
If you happen to be searching for a flight to Europe this week and you’re using a popular site like Expedia or Cheapoair, you might be a little surprised by the carrier that is more than likely going to pop up at as your least expensive option. Turkish Air is sometimes less than half the price of other carriers going to the same destination. What’s even...
I was on the front row of an impossibly sold out show in the sambadrome of Rio de Janiero. Confetti was flying everywhere, samba music overpowered any normal conversations and scantily clad beautiful people danced to the music on the most amazing floats in the world. This party went on and on past the bedtimes of even the most jaded rebel rousers. It was...
I’m the Traveling Wizard, aka Bill Wiatrak and a I’m a writer for the new online section of one of Houston’s favorite publications, The Buzz. I travel around the world experiencing other cultures, writing blogs, creating videos, dispensing advice and have adopted travel as a lifestyle, not as a vacation. My mission is to help my readers learn to...
Last November I was buying a bottle of wine in the lovely country of Transnistria. I had crossed the border intent spending my hard earned Transnistrian rubles and sampling Transnistrian food. What? you’ve never heard of Transnistria? That’s because it’s only recognized by two other countries in the world, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. You’ve...
My IPhone is the most important thing I travel with besides my passport and credit card. It has helped me find my way around the world, communicate with others, keep in touch with my friends and given me something to do when I’m stuck on a bus for hours. I don’t know what I ever did without it. I vaguely remember cramming 5 lonely planet books in my pack...
I was comparing prices at the Duty Free shop when I thought I heard my name. At first I thought I might have imagined it since hardly anyone pronounces my name correctly, particularly in a foreign country. Then I heard it again.I was fairly certain I was at last an hour ahead of schedule of my flight. I was in a small airport with only 5 gates so I quickly ran...