Destination: South America
Machu Picchu: ‘A Must-See for the Jet Set’?
by Jim Benning | 12.12.07 | 2:22 PM ET
Close followers of Celebrity Travel Watch will recall Cameron Diaz’s visit to Machu Picchu earlier this year, when her backpacker-commie-chic look—the shoulder bag pictured here says “Serve the People” in Chinese—was seen by some in Peru as too commie and not enough chic. (Turns out Maoist propaganda doesn’t always go over so well in a country that’s been terrorized by Maoist insurgents.) Well, now the Los Angeles Times is declaring Machu Picchu a “must-see for the jet set”—and not just celebs with Mao-inspired totes from China. Bill Gates made the trek this year, and in the last week or so Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson landed in Cuzco with plans to visit Machu Picchu, although they apparently scrapped the trip to the Incan ruins after “a run-in with several local journalists.” Officials have taken steps to limit Inca Trail traffic. What’s next? Limits on celebrity visitors?
Related on World Hum:
* Celebrity Travel Watch
* Peru: It’s no Nepal
Photo: AP.
Email to friend
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! BuzzRequiem for a Little Red Ship
by Abbie Kozolchyk | 12.05.07 | 11:33 AM ET
Abbie Kozolchyk never understood why anyone referred to ships as though they were women. Then, long before it sank in Antarctica, she met the Explorer.
All Hail ‘The Burrito King of Argentina’
by Jim Benning | 12.03.07 | 10:43 AM ET
In our ongoing quest to chronicle the spread of Mexican food —Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, you name it—around the globe, we note the rise of the humble burrito in Buenos Aires. At The California Burrito Company, which was co-founded by a 24-year-old expat from California, eating instructions are posted on the wall: “Pull back the foil wrap as you consume the burrito.” There’s even talk of expanding to Montevideo.
Photo by rick via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
Colombia’s Tayrona Park: From Drug Battlefield to Tourist Paradise?
by Joanna Kakissis | 11.13.07 | 1:39 PM ET
Where in the World Are You, Amy Scott?
by World Hum | 10.24.07 | 12:08 PM ET
The subject of our latest nearly up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: Amy Scott, a freelance editor. Her response landed in our inbox last night.
Where in the world are you?
Is Colombia the New New Zealand?
by Eva Holland | 10.16.07 | 2:11 PM ET
We’ve been tracking Colombia’s rise from narcotics netherworld to “hipster tropical destination du jour” for some time now, and it looks like an upcoming potential blockbuster movie could help complete the transition. “Love in the Time of Cholera,” based on the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, hits North American theaters in November. Last week Jaunted predicted an accompanying movie-tourism explosion. Amandak writes: “If you haven’t read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s fantastic book Love in the Time of Cholera you should, now. It’s about to become for Colombia what Lord of the Rings was for New Zealand: a major tourism generator. The nice part is that Garcia Marquez really did set his book in Colombia, whereas the whole Lord of the Rings thing was kind of a scam, really.”
The Che Image, 40 Years Later
by Jim Benning | 10.09.07 | 5:32 PM ET
Forty years ago today, Che Guevara was killed by CIA-backed Bolivian soldiers, and the anniversary has prompted gatherings around the Latin world—Bolivian President Evo Morales, fresh off a visit to The Daily Show, choppered in for an event near the site where Che was killed. Predictably, media outlets have published a slew of stories about the man, the myth, the travelers on the “Che Trail” and the iconic image.
Where the Roads Diverged
by Catherine Watson | 10.08.07 | 12:23 PM ET
After searching all her life, Catherine Watson felt she'd found home on Easter Island. Then she heard a whisper in her ear: Be careful what you wish for.
My Family and I Want to Volunteer in a Safe Latin American Country. Any Tips?
by Rolf Potts | 09.18.07 | 11:33 AM ET
Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
Given the Weak Dollar Overseas, Any Tips on Long-Term Travel?
by Rolf Potts | 09.05.07 | 7:41 AM ET
Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
Notes From a Month in Colombia
by Jim Benning | 08.31.07 | 12:46 PM ET
World Hum contributor Emily Maloney writes about a visit to Colombia’s Lost City, not to mention a cocaine paste factory, in The Smart Set this week. She even takes a gander at the jacket drug kingpin Pablo Escobar was wearing when he was shot. Good times.
Related on World Hum:
* Drexel University Launches ‘The Smart Set’
I Have $6,000 For a Trip to Asia and the South Pacific. Any Tips?
by Rolf Potts | 08.21.07 | 11:16 AM ET
Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
Virginia Tourism’s ‘Symbol of Love’ Actually Symbol of Chicago Gang
by Michael Yessis | 08.20.07 | 8:06 AM ET
Oops. An advertisement (pictured) developed by the BCF agency of Virginia Beach for the Virginia Tourism Corp. features two hands coming together to form the shape of a heart, a playful reference to the state’s long-time slogan, “Virginia is For Lovers.” The gesture, however, is also associated with the Gangster Disciples, “one of the most violent of four African-American gangs that hang out on the south side of Chicago,” according to an FBI report. The FBI also notes: “They are known for their violence and the distribution of crack cocaine.” Apparently Virginia does not want to associate itself with gun play and illegal drugs, and thus will be removing the image from its new “Live Passionately” campaign, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
Travelers Respond After Peru Quake
by Michael Yessis | 08.17.07 | 12:15 PM ET
The horrors of the 8.0 earthquake that struck the southern coast of Peru Wednesday continue to mount. More than 500 people are known to be dead, and more than 17,000 have been displaced, according to the latest update from the New York Times. Among those put in danger were many travelers from around the world.
Medellín, Colombia Gets Thumbs Up From Gray Lady
by Michael Yessis | 08.15.07 | 11:24 AM ET