World Hum’s Most Read: May 10-16

What We Loved This Week: ‘The Zen of Bobby V,’ ‘When the Levees Broke’ and Arriving With Our Baggage

How Bad is the Violence in Mexico?

Tony Horwitz Blogs From the Road

Tony Horwitz: Rediscovering the New World

Ben Keene talks to the author of the new book “A Voyage Long and Strange” about travel, American myths and the importance of visiting places where “history happened”

In Patagonia, In Patagonia

Tim Patterson packs his fleece and long underwear, and enters the Twilight Zone where corporate branding meets the multilayered reality of place. 

Should I Quit Law School so I can Travel the World?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

‘The Worst Guidebook Writer Ever’?

Lonely Planet author Robert Reid reviews Thomas Kohnstamm’s “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” and weighs in on the controversy surrounding it

Have a Hockey Night in Canada

From Montreal to Sault Ste. Marie, the sport is the country’s greatest passion. Eva Holland explains where to go to indulge—and who you need to know.

Promised Land Closed

And other odd and unlikely signs from around the world. Aficionado Doug Lansky, editor of the book “Signspotting,” recounts his 10 favorites.

10 Sizzling Hot Travel Tips From Sir Francis Bacon

Rolf Potts repackages the 17th century philosopher’s ‘Of Travel’ essay in the manner of a 21st century magazine feature

State Department Issues Serbia Travel Alert

Hi Joanna:

If a Serbian hitman hadn’t assasinated the god king Archduke Franz Ferdinand, then maybe Duby Dubya One would have been a made-up story.

One of my grandfathers was a WWI flying ace, sort of like an American red baron.

But in the 25th century, the two disastrous twentieth-century conflicts would be about as obscure as, say, the so-called “Hundred Years War,” which, of course, is a misnomer. The last name Hitler might be a commonplace, as well as the distictive stash (for eventually this battle-hardened soldier skilled in trench warfare, vis-avis Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, during the First War would have been finally recognized for his painting not, his politics). Has anybody ever seen any of Adolph’s artwork? FDR, Stalin, Churchill, and Hirohito would have lived comfortably in their inherited family estates, much like mine, which is at least the size of a small American state.

Anyway, I hope this doesn’t put a dent on tourism to the ex-Yugoslavia. Remember the best way to solve a diplomatic crisis or impasse is to send in a bunch of backpackers in, raving about how nice everything is.