Travel Blog: News and Briefs
Dialogue in the Dark: ‘It’s a Psychological Lift’
by Valerie Conners | 10.08.08 | 1:12 PM ET
A new sensory exhibit has debuted in Atlanta, offering visitors a chance to spend one hour in the dark, navigating through familiar scenarios—walking in a park, crossing a busy street, ordering drinks in a café—with the aid of a vision-impaired guide.
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Yahoo! BuzzEverest Plane Crash Kills 18 Tourists
by Valerie Conners | 10.08.08 | 12:21 PM ET
A passenger plane crashed on landing at Tenzing-Hillary airport in Nepal’s Everest region, killing 18 people on board, including 12 German tourists and two Australians. The plane’s pilot is the only survivor. We’ve previously noted the dramatic landings at the airport, which is located on a steeply angled hillside.
Related on World Hum:
* Introducing Tenzing Hillary Airport
Something’s Rotten in the Kingdom of Wallachia
by Valerie Conners | 10.08.08 | 11:22 AM ET
Fictitious Wallachia Kingdom, a popular tourist venture in the Czech Republic’s Wallachia region, is having a bit of a political coup crisis. Turns out the “king”—who happens to be a trained clown—is suing the “foreign minister” for rights to rule the land. The case has made its way into the actual Czech court system. Yes, this is a supremely weird story. But what do I think is the strangest part?
Thou Shalt Not Skinny Dip in Tokyo’s Imperial Palace Moat
by Valerie Conners | 10.08.08 | 10:52 AM ET
Was he unstable or just another British tourist behaving badly? Regardless of motive, a British man was arrested after skinny dipping in the moat surrounding Tokyo’s Imperial palace. The naked shenanigans created quite a stir for nearby tourists and security.
Maps, Mash-Ups and ‘the Democratization of Spatial Data’
by Eva Holland | 10.08.08 | 10:13 AM ET
To mash-up or not to mash-up? The Globe and Mail takes a look at the origins of the map mash-up and the people that create them—as well as the traditionalists who don’t approve of the trend.
World Hum Has Restless Legs: Come See Us in New York City
by World Hum | 10.07.08 | 6:03 PM ET
Join World Hum editors Jim Benning and Michael Yessis, and contributors Terry Ward and Eva Holland Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Lolita bar on the Lower East Side. We’re teaming with host and World Hum contributor David Farley for a night of readings for the wanderlust stricken. Also: We have prizes to give away. It will be, as Farley says, “a literary travel extravaganza.” For more info, check Facebook or the Restless Legs website.
Related on World Hum:
* Q&A with David Farley: The Restless Legs Reading Series
Photo by madiko83, via Flickr (Creative Commons)
For Sale: Mao’s Airplane
by Michael Yessis | 10.07.08 | 2:29 PM ET
The Trident jet currently resides at a shopping mall in Zhuhai, China. The mall’s owner, Wang Zhilei, wants to sell it to free up space for parking. Can’t tell you how much yuan it’ll cost you, though: Wang won’t disclose his price. (via Jaunted)
Related on World Hum:
* Mao Mao Mao Mao Mao. Enough With the Mao Already.
Photo by yeowatzup via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Fox News vs. CNN: What Channel Should Air at the Airport?
by Michael Yessis | 10.07.08 | 2:21 PM ET
A group of Notre Dame professors say authorities at the South Bend, Indiana airport should tune out Fox News, citing its “right-wing Republican voice.”
Observing Rosh Hashanah, In Uganda and Elsewhere
by Eva Holland | 10.07.08 | 10:21 AM ET
Walrus blogger Glenna Gordon spent Rosh Hashanah in Kampala, Uganda last week, and the experience reminded her that for frequent travelers, a holiday can serve as a sort of annual place-marker, to remind us where we were in the world at a given time each year.
Cheesy Souvenirs + Famous Landmarks = Very Cool Travel Pics
by Valerie Conners | 10.06.08 | 4:34 PM ET
A very fun—and dare I say, personally inspiring?—slideshow in the Telegraph by freelance photographer Michael Hughes puts a unique twist on the overdone we’re-holding-up-the-leaning-Tower-of-Pisa travel photo. Hughes creates optical illusions featuring souvenir replicas of major landmarks, and the landmarks themselves. My top picks include Abbey Road (the street and the album cover) and the Acropolis.
In Vietnam, a Moto is ‘a Bionic Limb, a Magic Carpet, a Personal Jet Pack’
by Eva Holland | 10.06.08 | 12:40 PM ET
Anyone who has traveled in Vietnam has seen the motos—everywhere. Patti McCracken paints a vivid portrait of the country’s moto culture in the Christian Science Monitor.
World Hum’s Most Read: Sept. 27-Oct. 3
by World Hum | 10.03.08 | 5:19 PM ET
Our five most popular features and blog posts for the week:
1) Q&A With Rolf Potts: Revelations from a Postmodern Travel Writer
2) Audio Slideshow: Promised Land Closed
3) Man Drives From New York City to Los Angeles in 31 Hours
4) South Africa: Three Great Books
5) The Long Descent: The $300 Surfboard Fee (pictured)
Photo by **spaceMonkey**, via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Xeni Jardin in Benin: ‘Do Not Taunt Happy-Fun Elephant’
by Michael Yessis | 10.03.08 | 3:57 PM ET
The latest installment of BBtv WORLD—“first-person glimpses of life around the globe”—centers on an “ambient exploration” of Benin’s Pendjari National Park. It’s not quite Battle at Kreuger, but an interesting “little experiment in trying to convey what this place feels like, first-person, without too many words,” writes Jardin.
Bee Colonies Thrive in Paris. Really, That’s a Good Thing.
by Valerie Conners | 10.03.08 | 12:33 PM ET
A French program to promote beekeeping in cities has yielded at least 300 bee colonies in Paris, some in the unlikeliest of places—like the roofs of hotels and the Paris Opera House.
A Traveler From Your Past Will Haunt You on Facebook
by Michael Yessis | 10.03.08 | 12:21 PM ET
And here’s what he’ll say:
