Travel Blog
‘American Shaolin’: Interview with Matthew Polly
by Michael Yessis | 04.19.07 | 7:57 AM ET
Gadling’s Justin Glow has posted a Q&A with Matthew Polly, whose book “American Shaolin” chronicles two years living and training with Shaolin Monks in China. “When I was a kid I saw the TV show Kung Fu with David Carradine. I idolized his character,” Polly tells Gadling. “He looked as awkward as I felt and yet he was a total bad-ass. When I was in college I started to study Chinese language, philosophy, Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism, and kung fu. The Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of kung fu and Zen Buddhism, so it was like going to the source.” ‘Shaolin’ has been getting good reviews, and the movie rights have been optioned by Fox2000. Polly has posted an excerpt on his Web site.
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Yahoo! BuzzThe Rise of the Trader Joe’s Pilgrimage
by Jim Benning | 04.19.07 | 7:02 AM ET
I hadn’t heard of interstate pilgrimages to Trader Joe’s grocery stores until Dallas Morning News travel editor Larry Bleiberg mentioned the phenomenon to me recently. Turns out, Bleiberg wrote a piece last summer about the amazingly long journeys some people make to Trader Joe’s to stock up on the store’s unique selection of cheap gourmet items, from Two Buck Chuck wine to corn syrup-free sweets. It made perfect sense.
Win a Trip to Space. Maybe.
by Michael Yessis | 04.18.07 | 8:11 AM ET
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, fresh off his, uh, groundbreaking walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk, announced plans yesterday for a space travel lottery. Questions about the legality of such a lottery remain, but given the hype surrounding the impending debut of space tourism, I imagine something will eventually be worked out. At this point, the lawyers are sure of at least one thing: Winners will not be able to sell their trips on eBay.
Excerpt: Kapuscinski’s ‘Travels with Herodotus’
by Michael Yessis | 04.18.07 | 7:25 AM ET
China to Female Taxi Drivers: No Chunky Earrings!
by Michael Yessis | 04.18.07 | 7:23 AM ET
And no bright red or yellow hair. It’s the latest directive from Chinese officials in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games. The country wants to put on a more conservative, less Chinglish-laden face for travelers, and, according to Reuters, some taxi drivers don’t like the regulations. Penalties for violations, however, are strong—drivers can lose their licenses.
The Secrets of ‘Hush-Hush Hotels’
by Michael Yessis | 04.17.07 | 7:44 PM ET
Portfolio, the newly launched (and much hyped) business magazine, has an interesting look at how hotels provide privacy for high-end customers. “That Brangelina or Tony Blair would want to be shielded from prying eyes is a given,” writes Laurie Werner. “But now even those who aren’t household names are demanding more privacy—and are willing to pay a high price for it.” Among the perks they’re getting: clandestine arrivals and departures, and in at least one case, a no-fly zone.
And the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Travel Writing Goes to?
by Jim Benning | 04.16.07 | 4:31 PM ET
Nobody. The 2007 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded today, but of course, there’s no category for travel writing. Still, we’re delighted that LA Weekly food writer Jonathan Gold won the Pulitzer for criticism. That’s close enough, because Gold approaches Los Angeles restaurants with a traveler’s sensibility, venturing into hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants where few food critics dare to go, from Thai Town to Little Ethiopia. His 2000 book, Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles, is probably a little dated by now, but it’s still a great guide for anyone seeking out the city’s most interesting food—and neighborhoods.
Sleepy British Airways Pilot Delays Flight 13 Hours
by Jim Benning | 04.16.07 | 12:52 PM ET
The pilot made the decision after a noisy night in a New Delhi hotel. The London-bound passengers, who passed the time in hotels as the pilot and crew rested, were just happy the pilot took the safety precaution, right? Uh, not so much.
R.I.P. (and Aloha) Don Ho
by Jim Benning | 04.16.07 | 11:21 AM ET
Legendary performer Don Ho has died of heart failure at the age of 76. Ho was a cultural ambassador and icon, bringing the sound of Hawaii to the world and performing for countless visitors to Waikiki over more than four decades. The Honolulu Advertiser has put together a nice tribute with photos, music clips and a place to post memories and comments about Ho’s life. A typical entry: “My husband and I have seen Don every year for the last 38 years…Don Ho was Hawaii and the spirit of Aloha he created throughout his career will never die.”
Charles Dickens, Led Zeppelin Get Theme Park Treatment
by Jim Benning | 04.13.07 | 12:52 PM ET
It’s the best of times and the worst of times here at the Planet Theme Park desk. On the one hand, we always have something to write about. On the other, our planet is being transformed into a giant theme park. Today brings news that Led Zeppelin will get its own roller coaster at the new Hard Rock theme park being built in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park is due to open in spring 2008 and will have 40 rock-related attractions, but the Zeppelin ride is expected to be a key amusement. If he were dead, Jimmy Page would be rolling over in his grave.
Linxia, China
by Ben Keene | 04.13.07 | 12:10 PM ET
The World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: More Posts About Buildings and Food
by Michael Yessis | 04.13.07 | 8:00 AM ET
And airplanes and, uh, guns, too. This week the Zeitgeist takes travelers to Oklahoma, Oregon, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and Pakistan.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
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New National Historic Landmarks in 10 States
* Shown here: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
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New York Times (current)
36 Hours in Portland, Ore.
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World Hum (this week)
Passenger on Northwest Pilot: ‘He Was Having a Fit, Swearing Up a Storm’
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The Costas Turn Chic and Cheerful
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Italy
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Wikitravel
* Bad publicity, good publicity and now more good publicity for the user-driven site.
Top Travel and Adventure Audiobook
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Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
* This book became a movie with Diane Lane.
Best Selling Travel Book
Amazon.com (current)
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
* This book will become a movie with Julia Roberts.
Top Rated “Your Pick” Video
LonelyPlanet.tv (current)
Hong Kong Guerilla Guide
R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut
by Jim Benning | 04.12.07 | 11:32 AM ET
Vonnegut’s books have enriched our travels. On the long drive from L.A. to Las Vegas, we particularly recommend the audio version of “Slaughterhouse-Five.”
Beijing Visitors May Get Some ‘Mixed Elbow With Garlic Mud’ After All
by Michael Yessis | 04.12.07 | 8:43 AM ET
As we recently posted, Chinese officials have taken steps to rid Beijing of “Chinglish”—“wrong, embarrassing and sometimes plain rude signs in Chinese English,” as defined by Reuters—by the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. However, according to a new Reuters report, the city most likely will not be able to eradicate all Chinglish before the deadline. Advertisements and menus are the greatest challenges, according to Liu Yang, deputy head of efforts to clean up Beijing’s pre-Olympic language problems.
Paleo: 365 Days on the Road, 365 Songs
by Michael Yessis | 04.12.07 | 7:39 AM ET
David Andrew Strackany, aka Paleo, has spent the last year traveling around the U.S. and writing songs—one every day since April 16, 2006. Pop Candy’s Whitney Matheson says “the tunes are actually good,” and she interviewed him in her latest podcast. After almost a year on the road, Paleo tells her, he still finds traveling exhilarating. To listen for yourself how the road has treated Paleo and inspired his songs, visit his website. Every song he wrote during the course of the project is online.
