Travel Blog: Shrinking Planet
McWorld Goes Local
by Jim Benning | 08.28.09 | 12:16 PM ET
Further evidence (not that we needed it) that a globalized McWorld does not necessarily mean global homogeneity: Increasingly—though it has been going on for years—fast food franchises around the world are rolling out menu items created for local tastes.
Domino’s pizzas come topped with squid in Taiwan, black beans in Guatemala and feta cheese in Greece. In China, Kentucky Fried Chicken sells rice congee, while Col. Sanders in India woos vegetarians with offerings like the Chana Snacker, a chickpea burger topped with Thousand Island sauce.
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Yahoo! BuzzTravel Song of the Day: ‘Me Gustas Tu’ by Manu Chao
by Jim Benning | 08.27.09 | 1:16 PM ET
Photo We Love: Cubana Con Cigarro
by World Hum | 08.26.09 | 3:29 PM ET
REUTERS/Desmond Boylan A street entertainer in Havana yesterday.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Stratford-On-Guy’ by Liz Phair
by Michael Yessis | 08.26.09 | 2:32 PM ET
Is Ikea ‘The Disney World of China’?
by Eva Holland | 08.25.09 | 5:03 PM ET
Gawker is inexplicably bemused by an L.A. Times article about the Beijing Ikea, where—apparently this is a shock—locals go “just to hang out.” What, New Yorkers don’t like to lounge on the dining room sets with no intentions of buying? And here I thought that was something people worldwide could agree on.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Coming Into Los Angeles’ by Arlo Guthrie
by Eva Holland | 08.25.09 | 11:45 AM ET
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Crystal Frontier’ by Calexico
by Jim Benning | 08.21.09 | 11:45 AM ET
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Garden Grove’ by Sublime
by Eva Holland | 08.19.09 | 1:53 PM ET
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Holiday’ by Weezer
by Michael Yessis | 08.17.09 | 1:02 PM ET
Thomas Friedman on the ‘Overconnected Tourist’
by Michael Yessis | 08.17.09 | 9:40 AM ET
He went to remote Botswana—the “Land of No Service”—and sent forth a column that touches on the “blessings and curses” of being connected:
For the normally overconnected tourist, the first thing you notice in the Land of No Service is how quickly your hearing, smell and eyesight improve in an act of instant Darwinian evolution. It is amazing how well you can hear when you don’t have an iPod in your ears or how far you can see when you’re not squinting at a computer screen. In the wild, the difference between hearing and seeing with acuity is the difference between survival and extinction for the animals and the difference between a rewarding experience and a missed opportunity for photographers and guides.
He sounds downright Pottsian.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Amsterdam’ by Peter Bjorn and John
by Alicia Imbody | 08.14.09 | 12:41 PM ET
Banff’s ‘Crasher Squirrel’ Goes Viral
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 3:23 PM ET
You can skip your daily visit to cuteoverload.com today—a Banff squirrel has the adorable quotient covered. The rodent snuck into a tourist’s shot, the shot made its way onto National Geographic’s website, and the rest is viral internet history.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’ by The Beatles
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 1:19 PM ET
Travel Song of the Day: ‘That’s Entertainment’ by The Jam
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.09 | 1:56 PM ET
Finding British Food Around the World
by Eva Holland | 08.11.09 | 10:54 AM ET
I’m on the record about my love of British food, so I was pleased to find the Independent’s picks for the best spots to find the stuff outside of Britain. I know, I know: When I’m traveling, I should be pushing my gastronomic limits rather than retreating into comfort food—but still, it’s nice to know that if I ever crave bangers and mash in Corfu, Yorkshire pudding in Bangkok or a pint of London Pride in Tokyo, I’ll be well taken care of.
