You might remember that I posted about STA Travel’s upcoming series of Travel Talks a couple of weeks ago. I’d just like to send out a little reminder that anyone interested in finding out about Latin America can come to the event in their London Victoria branch, this Wednesay June 11th at 7.30pm (read more and book a place here).

The talks are a good opportunity to get some face-to-face advice - which can be really useful and refreshing if you’ve done all your research on the net so far - as well as nab some special deals and discounts. I’ve never been to one before, so I’m going to drop by so I can take some photos, vidoes etc to upload here - and bend the ear of anyone who’ll stay still for long enough about the joys of using social media to share their trip.

If any STA travelbuzz readers, travel bloggers or forum members can make it, do come - it would be great to get the perspective on the talks from some other social media folk. I’ll be the six foot blonde with a bad tan line from the weekend, who’s failing to work her camera. And is probably late.

The one year anniversary of the first date I ever had with my girlfriend recently snuck up on me – resulting in a hasty trip to HMV for some lame gifts. Despite my lapse in gift-giving extravagance, I can remember the date enough to know it involved a romantic walk by the river and some time spent sitting beneath the setting sun amidst some spectacular, old English ruins.

Ahh, it was a great moment. And definitely worth more than the couple of DVDs I bought her. Still, it is with this recollection of romantic ruins, and ignoring my obvious failings as a boyfriend, that I introduce another Show and Tell. An opportunity for us to show you some travellers in need and you to tell them what they need to know.

This time, the question comes from Onejungle in the AardvarkTravel.net forum. Onejungle’s looking for ‘extraordinary’ ruins to visit during a tour of the Yucatan – if you have any great advice, let him know here…

Other than providing easy access to endless pictures of cats, possibly the greatest benefit the internet has brought mankind is the wealth of information and expertise that is often only a few clicks away – if you know where to look, that is.

Where would we be, however, if people became lazy and selfish, only suckling on the informational teet of the web and never giving anything back? Not in a happy place.

That’s why STA travelbuzz will be regularly posting a selection of questions being asked by people seeking help in one of the many travel forums across the net in the hope that you will jump in and ’show and tell’. So, if you have some experience to offer, do something nice: spew your knowledgeable brain-juice on these floundering, fellow wayfarers.

East Coast Expedition Seeks Excitement: Wilsherlee will be hitting the East Coast of the US in December, and is looking for advice on places to stay and cool stuff to see – answer Wisherlee’s questions, click here.

Ecuadorian Enquiries In Need Of Enlightenment: MrJack has a few questions relating to Ecuador, ranging from budget flights to things to do. If you’ve been there, done that, let him know what his options are – answer MrJack’s questions, click here.

Mira has noticed that the downtrodden US dollar is being overtaken by the more stable Euro as the currency of choice in Costa Rica, Guatemala and other Central American countries. A solo female traveler, whose Lady The Tramp blog contains tips and advice for women on the road, Mira warns that using dollars in these areas means you’ll get an increasingly poor deal, and that prices are increasingly set to reflect a round number of Euros rather than dollars. Have you found the same trend emerging in other parts of the world?

Mira’s also just uploaded a bunch of great pictures of Costa Rica to her photo site. Even if you’re paying dollars, seeing the idyllic images of the Quitirrissi indigenous community, Turrialba and local coffee and sugar plantations will be enough to make you want to book a trip right now.

Not all travellers use Mexico as a playground for tequila-fuelled stag dos. If you want an insider view of the place from people actually working in the local community, get some tips from Mary, Joyce and Evelyn, who are volunteering at UTEQ (Universidad Technologica de Queretaro), helping students with English language, culture and business skills. They have plenty of spare time to explore and have just returned from a trip to San Miguel where they clocked murals by Pedro Martinez and the buzz of the Ramirez Market.

They’re working for Global Volunteers, a ‘private, non-profit, non-sectarian, non-governmental organization engaging short-term volunteers on micro-economic and human development programs in close partnership with local people worldwide’, and there are also blogs for teams in Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, China, Peru, India, Poland, Cook Islands, Romania and Tazmania.