Posts Tagged ‘travel’
On the Beaten Path or off it? Mostar, Bosnia. Credit: N Crisafulli
We were in Mostar, Bosnia, certainly not a town you’d say was overrun with tourists. My wife and I were walking toward a historically significant site near the center of town (Mostar was torn apart by the Bosnian War in the early 90s) and I of course was looking around for a photo opportunity, camera in hand. She was carrying a guidebook which was opened to the map page directing us to the site. At that moment a young American traveler walked by us, noticed our not-from-around-here aesthetic and muttered too loudly to his friend, “We gotta get off the beaten path, man.”
It was there, in that well-off-the-beaten-path town of Mostar in the middle of Bosnia, that I came to the conclusion that the whole idea of “the Beaten Path” is one of contention, a hypothetical notion that exists purely in the minds of those not satisfied where they are.
In case you doubted the US Passport Agency could do their jobs with that paltry budget they have hanging over their heads all the time, put those doubts to rest. They’ll soon be getting an influx of cash.
On July 13th the cost for getting a new, renewed or child’s passport, will take a flying leap. The price for a new adult passport will rise from $100 to $135. The price to renew your passport will be $110, up from $75 and for your child (those under 16) you’ll now spend $105.
Paris is an incredible city, one that absolutely lives up to its reputation, be it wonderful, dramatic or embittered.
For anyone going, recently returned or have relentless memories of the fair City of Light, here’s an adorable little poem written around 1911 by American poet Sara Teasdale.
While a taxi ride from the airport in a new city may be one of the most exciting parts of your arrival – you’re almost guaranteed a hair-whitening, eye-opening, heart-stopping gallop – unfortunately taxis can be as expensive and potentially dangerous as they are thrilling, depending on where you are.
They can also be an unexpected budget-killer if you’re not careful. Not to mention if any of the drivers decide you’re naïve enough to pay double. And since getting into the city from the airport is something you just need to do, alternatives I’m sure are as welcome as a breath of fresh air.
Below are 10 cities that have great public alternatives that will save you from the inevitable “taxi ride from hell”.
*All prices are in USD.
After 4 days of an almost surreal standstill of the European airport network, things haven’t gotten much better for travelers there. The ash cloud remains settled over much of northern and central Europe and doesn’t appear to be doing much in the way of dissipating. Twenty countries have now closed their airspace with specialists saying there may not be much in the way of improvement until later this week.
However, there is some good news: the rumors of a second volcano erupting in Iceland are purely that and because the density of the cloud appears to be diminishing, British Airways has announced they could be resuming their flights as early as tomorrow local time, with more European airlines likely to follow their lead.
But because volcanic ash is still dangerous for jet engines and since the passenger backup has spread so deeply into airline operations worldwide no one is completely sure how long the situation will take to resolve itself.
To help our customers in affected destinations around the world, I turned to our in-house insurance specialist Jeffrey Fell to answer some questions travelers may have about protecting themselves and their money during this sticky situation.
It’s been another big win for the bloggers this week, with posts chock full o’ nuggets (of info) and items of general usefulness.
Here’s what I’ve been reading on the web this week:
It was a tough week for my RSS reader, bulging at the seams, barely able to contain itself. Hence, I got a little behind reading it all, but you, dear reader, get it sorted for your pleasure.
Here’s what I’ve been reading on the web!
Credit: Pseejunkie
You saved for it, bypassed countless social engagements to hoard that money away, made excuses, maybe alienated a few friends along the way.
You also planned for it, spent countless hours, laptop on thighs, scouring travel sites and blogs, organizing, researching, building an itinerary you could feel good about.
You worked up to it, buttressed your decision-making skills, reassured yourself, searched for and found that inspiration you needed when your feet got cold.
You prepared, bought the best bags, jacket, shoes, camera, sunblock and good luck charm.
And then you waited, counting down the days, drumming your fingers on the table.
Finally, the evening before departure and you literally became sick with nerves. But the morning arrived and you got on that plane. And off….you….went.
Red Shirts on the roll
Trouble is looming over the weekend in Bangkok as the “United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship” assembles its largest protest in recent memory, predicting up to 600,000 protesters will be in the capital by Sunday. According to CNBC:
“Anti-government demonstrators prepared to launch Friday what they hope will be one of the country’s biggest protests ever, aiming to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to call new elections.
Leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, called the Red Shirts because of their hallmark garb, have vowed to keep their “Million-man march” protest nonviolent. Demonstrators will start meeting around the country Friday, and converge in the Thai capital Bangkok on Sunday.
The group’s last major protest in Bangkok in April last year deteriorated into rioting that saw two people killed, more than 120 people injured and buses burned on major thoroughfares. The army was called in to quash the unrest.”
You wanted it, craved it, dreamt about it, and after the years of rumors, the unabashed hype, the gasping for bated breath, last week Apple finally unveiled his latest piece of techno idolatry – the unfortunately tagged “iPad”. Along
with the rest of the universe, travelers and travel bloggers have been waiting for the newest piece of Jobsian hardware to make their lives on the road a little easier. While the iPad is certainly one sexy piece of hardware that will undoubtedly change the way people view their media, travelers have reason to be disappointed for what it doesn’t quite do for their particular type of mobile lifestyle.
If this was something you’ve been hankering for, you’ve probably read your share of articles last week to find out what it can do (if not, here’s a great catch-all article). I won’t waste your time with specs. But I’ll say right away the sad and revealing truth: as a long distance traveler, the iPad is NOT what you’ve been waiting for — at least not yet. Sorry folks.
I’ll tell you why.
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