Travel Blog
‘Gas Tourists’ Head for Mexico
by Michael Yessis | 06.25.08 | 10:53 AM ET
It’s simple math for those along the border: The average cost of a gallon in the U.S. has risen above $4, while government subsidies keep prices more than $1 lower in Mexico. It’s been a boom for Mexican gas stations, which have seen a 50 percent surge in sales in border areas from the Gulf of Mexico to Tijuana. The Mexico Tourism Board is even promoting gas tourism, according to the New York Times.
Related on World Hum:
* The $4 Gallon Survival Guide
* Hypermiling Rises Again
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Yahoo! BuzzRecession Travel: Bad News for Theme Parks
by Eva Holland | 06.25.08 | 10:01 AM ET
Slate’s Daniel Gross is just full of bad news for American travelers this summer. Last month, he warned of the looming recession’s impact on the RV industry, and now he explains why the nation’s theme parks—and particularly the Six Flags chain—could be taking a hit, too. What’s next, the souvenir shot glass industry? Say it ain’t so.
Photo by j.reed via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Hollywood’s Cultural Jabs Get Mixed Reviews
by Elyse Franko | 06.25.08 | 9:55 AM ET
Hindu viewers aren’t showing much love for The Love Guru. According to Foreign Policy’s Passport Blog, they believe Mike Myers’ latest movie “lampoons their faith and reinforces misconceptions about their religion.” But oddly enough, Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess With the Zohan is a hit among Israelis, despite its blatant stereotypes of Israeli culture. “I have no problem making fun of Israel, ‘cause I think we are pretty damn funny,” Israeli hip-hop artist Shaanan Streett told the AP.
Related on World Hum:
*‘Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay’ Not Rushdie-esque?
Dubailand to Add Marvel Comics, Ferraris
by Elyse Franko | 06.24.08 | 3:50 PM ET
We’ve already noted plans for Dubailand, Dubai’s massive amusement park complex that’s been staked out by Universal Studios and Six Flags. According to the Wall Street Journal, recent deals will to the mix add a Marvel superhero-themed park and a Ferrari-themed park called (you guessed it) Ferrari-Land. Ah, Dubai: The place where kids can be kids and dads can indulge their midlife crises.
Related on World Hum:
*Theme Parks Bound for Mumbai and Dubai
Haiti: It’s Not so Bad!
by Jim Benning | 06.24.08 | 3:19 PM ET
Interesting report in the Christian Science Monitor suggesting that Haiti’s reputation for violence and crime—which keeps legions of tourists away—is overblown. A spokesman for the UN police force in Haiti told the newspaper: “It’s a big myth. Port-au-Prince is no more dangerous than any big city. You can go to New York and get pickpocketed and held at gunpoint. The same goes for cities in Mexico or Brazil.” In fact, UN statistics show that the murder rate in Jamaica, for example, is much higher than it is in Haiti. Sounds like it’s high time for Haiti tourism officials to re-Brand That Nation! While we’re dispensing advice, if a visit to Haiti is in your future, consider your air travel options carefully.
Photo by Robert Miller via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
‘Area Father Fails To Forcibly Refold Map’
by Michael Yessis | 06.24.08 | 2:57 PM ET
It was a map of Iowa that “completely got the best of him,” according to Onion Radio News.
Chatwin Was Right About the Urge to Travel
by Frank Bures | 06.24.08 | 12:25 PM ET
Bruce Chatwin famously made the case for an innate urge to travel, a la nomadism, in his books Anatomy of Restlessness and The Songlines. Now the Economist is reporting that scientists have found a genetic marker that rewards “exploratory behavior” and “novelty seeking.” The paper observes, “One suggestion is that long-distance migration selects for long alleles (see chart) because they reward exploratory behaviour. This might be an advantage in migratory societies because it encourages people to hunt down resources when they constantly move through unfamiliar surroundings.”
What’s a Ride on a Sleeper Train Without the Company of Strangers?
by Eva Holland | 06.24.08 | 11:32 AM ET
In the rail-riding classic The Great Railway Bazaar, it is Paul Theroux’s fellow passengers, rather than the places he visits, that provide the most memorable moments. I found myself thinking of that odd crew of bunkmates and dining car companions again the other day, when I learned that British rail company First Great Western will no longer allow strangers to share sleeper compartments on their trains.
The Truth About Food Smuggling
by Eva Holland | 06.24.08 | 10:55 AM ET
We’ve all done it: gotten hooked on a particular delicacy while traveling, and tried to sneak a morsel or two home in our luggage. For me, it was energy drinks from Malaysia, mango candies from India, and once, an entire carry-on backpack full of bottled ales, mulled wine, Jaffa cakes and mince pies from England, just before the holidays. But are the edible souvenirs that most travelers stash away really the contraband that sniffer dogs in airports are after? The Globe and Mail’s Judy Stoffman says no.
Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas: Three Great Films
by World Hum | 06.23.08 | 4:08 PM ET
Favelas in Rio de Janeiro are largely stateless, marginalized places mostly controlled by drug gangs. A number of filmmakers have explored the inequality and violence found there, and the result has made for powerful and, at times, controversial movies. Such is the case with the recent Brazilian film “Tropa De Elite” (“Elite Squad”). The award-winning film is told from the point of view of a fictional cop, Captain Nascimento, who is a member of Rio’s police special-forces unit. With a child on the way, Nascimento wants to survive his last mission: pacifying a favela before the Pope arrives. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been widely released, and it isn’t available with English subtitles on DVD, but here are three great films you can easily find:
Letterman: Top Ten Signs You Have a Bad Travel Agent
by Michael Yessis | 06.23.08 | 4:06 PM ET
Not on the list from Friday’s show: You mean people still use travel agents?
Top 20 Public Intellectuals in the World
by Jim Benning | 06.23.08 | 3:54 PM ET
Foreign Policy has released the results of its poll. Coming in at number four: Turkish writer and Istanbul memoirist Orhan Pamuk.
Undiscovered Tribe in Brazil Not so Undiscovered After All
by Michael Yessis | 06.23.08 | 3:51 PM ET
Turns out the alleged never-been-contacted tribe in Brazil has been known to the world since 1910. According to the Guardian, the man behind the infamous image of the red-painted tribesmen says he “planned the publicity to protect them and other tribes in similar danger of losing the habitat in which they have flourished for hundreds of years.”
U.S. Train Ridership Up, But Satisfaction Remains Elusive
by Michael Yessis | 06.23.08 | 3:27 PM ET
May was a record month for Amtrak, which reached new highs in passengers carried and ticket revenue. How did a system recently criticized by a magazine called Good as “unspeakably awful” do it? Chalk it up to the high cost of fuel, which is driving many travelers to eschew cars and planes in favor of trains.
China’s Olympic Mascots: Cute or Cursed?
by Julia Ross | 06.23.08 | 12:31 PM ET
Those adorable Beijing Olympic mascots—known in Mandarin as “fuwa,” or good luck dolls—may not be so lucky after all. Superstitious Chinese say the five cartoon animals are responsible for a string of calamities that has befallen their nation this year. Perhaps this means a discount on mascot-laden souvenirs come August?
Photo by Andrew Currie via Flickr (Creative Commons).
