Travel Blog
The World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: Disney, Dubai and the Mile-High Club
by Michael Yessis | 11.02.07 | 4:00 PM ET
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Yahoo! BuzzClimate Change and a Journey Across the Inuit’s Arctic
by Eva Holland | 11.02.07 | 2:16 PM ET
In a thoughtful essay in this month’s Arctic-themed issue of The Walrus, Franklyn Griffiths chronicles a trip from one end of the Canadian north to another, flying 15,000 miles to visit Inuit communities and learn what the people on the front lines of climate change have to say on the topic. He found a range of responses. Chief among them: suspicion and skepticism about the warnings emanating from the same environmental NGOs that have campaigned relentlessly against the seal hunt, and from southern politicians who have, in the view of many, rarely done the Inuit any favors.
‘Iconoclasts’: Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn in Alaska
by Jim Benning | 11.02.07 | 1:35 PM ET
It’s not often that an outdoor/adventure writer like Jon Krakauer gets more than a sound bite of TV time to talk about writing and the outdoors. So I was eager to see the latest installment in the Sundance Channel series “Iconoclasts.” The show features Krakauer and actor/filmmaker/provocateur Sean Penn traveling to Alaska, talking writing and filmmaking. The pair reflect on the life of Chris McCandless, the subject of Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild,” which Penn just turned into a film. They make a pilgrimage to the bus where McCandless spent his final days. Afterward, Krakauer shows Penn the ropes of ice climbing and they talk life philosophy. It turned out to be a pretty good, thoughtful hour of television.
The Other Problem With ‘Welcome: Portraits of America’
by Michael Yessis | 11.02.07 | 12:27 PM ET
The inclusion of an iconic Canadian landmark in a new U.S. government video designed to promote travel to the States has stirred up controversy, as it should. It’s an embarrassment, to be sure, but the most interesting—and important—thing about the video is the simple fact that it exists. U.S. standing has sunk so low in the world, and so many travelers are staying away from the country, that the government had to borrow some Disney magic, partnering with the company to create a video promoting America as a welcoming place. The seven-minute, 20-second video is already showing at Washington Dulles International Airport and Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and will soon be seen in the international arrivals areas at other domestic airports and at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
From Fiji to Kenya, Travel Hot Spots Brace for Global Warming
by Joanna Kakissis | 11.01.07 | 2:17 PM ET
A ski resort without snow. A scuba club whose coral reefs have succumbed to warmer and stormier seas. A water-guzzling golf resort in a desertifying area. Faced with global warming, the tourism industry must adapt to scenarios like these around the world or risk losing tourists, Elisabeth Rosenthal writes in The New York Times.
Romance By Rail: Europe Does It Better
by Julia Ross | 11.01.07 | 1:30 PM ET
The thought of finding romance on a train from Washington D.C. to New York City—a trip I’ve made many times—strikes me as unlikely. Let’s face it: There’s nothing particularly romantic about Amtrak. But a chance meeting on a European train? On atmosphere alone, I’d give it much better odds. Two train-related events in Europe this fall are reviving the romantic image of rail travel, albeit with a 21st century spin. Reuters reports that German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has introduced speed-dating on an intercity line from Nuremberg to Munich, providing an upscale alternative to the usual pub meet-and-greet, complete with champagne and roses.
Happy Day of the Dead
by Jim Benning | 11.01.07 | 12:18 PM ET
State Department Unveils ‘Portraits of America’ (and Canada)
by Eva Holland | 11.01.07 | 10:50 AM ET
Looks like someone in Washington forgot that “the 51st state” is actually just a cute nickname for the friendly neighbor to the north. The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security have released a promotional video called “Welcome: Portraits of America” aimed at changing the United States’ reputation as a country hostile to foreigners. The video, which is to be given “maximum exposure” in American airports and at U.S. embassies around the world, shows footage of the Lincoln Memorial, the Grand Canyon and other American landmarks, as well the Horseshoe Falls portion of Niagara Falls—a famous landmark in, uh, Canada.
World Hum’s Most Read: October 2007
by Michael Yessis | 11.01.07 | 8:58 AM ET
Our 10 most popular stories posted last month:
1) The Man at the Bus Stop
2) 1,000 Places to Not go Before You Die
3) Man Drives From New York City to Los Angeles in 31 Hours
4) Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable
5) Should I Cut My Dreadlocks Before Traveling to Asia?
6) Branson on Fossett: ‘He Truly Was the Adventurer’s Adventurer’
7) Where the Roads Diverged (pictured)
8) Any Tips For Making a Cheap Hotel More Bearable?
9) Best Travel-Themed Halloween Costume Title? ‘Eurasian Traveler’
10) ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Author Elizabeth Gilbert Does ‘Oprah’
New Travel Book: ‘Our Dumb World’
by Michael Yessis | 10.31.07 | 3:23 PM ET
Full title: “Our Dumb World: The Onion’s Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition”
Author: Writers of The Onion
Released: Oct. 30, 2007
Travel genre: Parody, atlas
Territory covered: The world, from “Allah’s Cat Box” (Afghanistan) to “The Bridebasket of Europe” (Ukraine)
Touring the Desolate Streets of America’s Ghost Towns
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.31.07 | 2:43 PM ET
A Halloween question: What are America’s ghost towns really like? Not exactly a trick-or-treater’s technicolor spookfest, writes Hugo Martin of the Los Angeles Times. Martin explored some abandoned towns in the West, offering a not-so-marketable tableau of death, decay, doom and depression. The creepiness includes:
Singapore Airlines to A380 First-Class Suite Passengers: No Sex For You
by Michael Yessis | 10.31.07 | 1:29 PM ET
Teases! Singapore Airlines has outfitted its new A380 with 12 first-class suites offering privacy and double beds, and during last week’s inaugural flight from Singapore to Sydney, Champagne flowed. The airline, it would seem, brought some sexy back to travel. Alas, it didn’t bring the Mile-High Club back from the dead. The carrier has asked suite passengers to refrain from sex, dashing “the hopes of sexual thrill-seekers planning to engage in amorous activity aboard the world’s biggest jumbo jet,” according to a Reuters report.
Captain ‘No Name’ Dishes on the State of Air Travel
by Michael Yessis | 10.31.07 | 1:09 PM ET
Passengers are on the record with their feelings about the state of air travel. But what do pilots think? World Hum contributor Terry Ward found one willing to talk, as long as he remained anonymous. Ward said that “the pilot was eager to talk to me as he’s been pretty fed up with the industry in general lately, even if he loves being a pilot.” Captain “No Name” is a pilot for a major U.S. carrier and he has eight years of commercial experience. Among the insights and observations he revealed to Ward in a piece posted on AOL:
25 Bizarre Travel Insurance Claims: From Lost Teeth to Tourist-Harrassing Monkeys
by Eva Holland | 10.31.07 | 11:23 AM ET
Think of it as a list of things to not do before you die. The Times UK’s “Money Central” bloggers recently dug through the files of some of the UK’s largest insurance companies to put together their 25 most bizarre travel insurance claims ever. I’m not sure which are more unexpected: the strange things that happen to people on holiday, or the strange things people seem to believe they can claim on their insurance. Some of my favorites: No. 3, a pensioner whose false teeth went overboard while he threw up over the side of a cruise ship. His claim was paid under “lost baggage.” Or No. 8, a family whose tent and camping equipment were destroyed by a falling parachutist. They had no accidental damage coverage, and were not reimbursed.
Three Travel Tips: Doing Laundry on the Road
by Eva Holland | 10.30.07 | 7:17 AM ET
Travel tips are easy to find on the Internet, but some are better than others. Each week, we’ll bring you World Hum-approved travel tips from around the Web.
Rick Steves suggests saving time and money by washing laundry in your hotel sink. Fair enough—but while DIY laundry certainly isn’t rocket science, there are a few more things you can do to help make your travel clothes laundromat-fresh.
1) Pack a laundry kit. “Pack the following items in a re-sealable plastic bag or small cosmetic bag: Small travel bottle (with a pull-top lid) filled with your favorite formula of liquid detergent or hand wash detergent (for delicate items). Sturdy plastic knife (since many airlines now restrict such items, alternatives may include a hotel card key, laminated video rental card or any other sturdy card). Portable clothesline (two trees or the shower walls or hotel balcony make the perfect place to hang a line). Portable drain cover or access to a small bucket/dishpan. (If you’re camping you have probably packed this already. The hotel ice bucket works as well.)”—Frank’s Laundromat
