I was surprised and pleased to find out that Travel Answer Man has included this blog on a list of Top Travel Blogs of 2008 that he found on Viscape. Thanks, TAM, for for the vote of confidence in Viscape and iin Travel Babel.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
West Bank/Palestine Travels, Day 1
Holy Land media visit starts with a long travel day
At Denver International Airport, I saw the controversial statue of Horus (below), a complicated ancient Egyptian god whose statue has been placed right outside the main terminal in honor of the upcoming King Tut exhibition at the Denver Art Muesum. I'm missing the media preview this week.
Easy flight to Newark, long layover and then comfy transatlantic flight. I used miles and money to upgrade to Continental's Business/First for the long overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
Arrived in Tel Aviv, met group at airport and boarded bus driven by "Captain" Samr and listened to intro to the Palestinian Territories by Samir Bahbah (below) of the Arab Tour Guides Association. His story exemplifies the complexities of this area. He is a Catholic by religion, Palestinian by nationality and Arab by ethnicity. He grew up and lives in East Jerusalem, so he has a Jordanian passport yet is an Israeli citizen who cannot vote and does not have to serve in the Army.
Our bus traveled through the outskirts of Jeruslem and the first of many security checkpoints we would encounrter and directly into Bethlehem and checked into the Jacir Palace Intercontinental Hotel (below, top image), a luxury hotel affixed to an opulent villa on the oturskirts of the city. My room (below, bottom) is comfortable but not lavish, yet the public spaces in the old mansion are exceptionally atmospheric. When I went to open my bag, the TSA-compliant lock was gone and the loop on the zipper pull where the lock fit through was broken. Too much time in Newark -- or or likely something at the airport here, where enthsiastic Israeli security agents don't bother with the device that opens TSA-complient locks? I'll never know, but now, I guess that I'll have to carry my netbook with me everywhere.
Light buffet dinner during this very low season.. A few of us went for a short walk, and then back to the hotel. Room is fine. Bedside table holds a New Testament in three languages (German, English, French) and a Koran in Arabic (below). It's been a long time since I've been in a hotel room with an ashtray! A liter of water was a nice consideration, because the tap water is not potable. Oh, how I wish they'd put a second bottle of water in my room.
And now, a good night.
At Denver International Airport, I saw the controversial statue of Horus (below), a complicated ancient Egyptian god whose statue has been placed right outside the main terminal in honor of the upcoming King Tut exhibition at the Denver Art Muesum. I'm missing the media preview this week.
Easy flight to Newark, long layover and then comfy transatlantic flight. I used miles and money to upgrade to Continental's Business/First for the long overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
Arrived in Tel Aviv, met group at airport and boarded bus driven by "Captain" Samr and listened to intro to the Palestinian Territories by Samir Bahbah (below) of the Arab Tour Guides Association. His story exemplifies the complexities of this area. He is a Catholic by religion, Palestinian by nationality and Arab by ethnicity. He grew up and lives in East Jerusalem, so he has a Jordanian passport yet is an Israeli citizen who cannot vote and does not have to serve in the Army.
Our bus traveled through the outskirts of Jeruslem and the first of many security checkpoints we would encounrter and directly into Bethlehem and checked into the Jacir Palace Intercontinental Hotel (below, top image), a luxury hotel affixed to an opulent villa on the oturskirts of the city. My room (below, bottom) is comfortable but not lavish, yet the public spaces in the old mansion are exceptionally atmospheric. When I went to open my bag, the TSA-compliant lock was gone and the loop on the zipper pull where the lock fit through was broken. Too much time in Newark -- or or likely something at the airport here, where enthsiastic Israeli security agents don't bother with the device that opens TSA-complient locks? I'll never know, but now, I guess that I'll have to carry my netbook with me everywhere.
Light buffet dinner during this very low season.. A few of us went for a short walk, and then back to the hotel. Room is fine. Bedside table holds a New Testament in three languages (German, English, French) and a Koran in Arabic (below). It's been a long time since I've been in a hotel room with an ashtray! A liter of water was a nice consideration, because the tap water is not potable. Oh, how I wish they'd put a second bottle of water in my room.
And now, a good night.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Airline Passenger Trantrum Caught on Video
S--t sometimes happens with air travel -- and sometimes on the slopes. YouTube sees all!
I've been skiing Aspen/Snowmass with friends from east (New Jersey) and west (Australia) this week, and I'm glad that I live within driving distance. Steve was flying back to New Jersey on Wednesday. United canceled his Aspen-Denver flight (too much wind for the aircraft scheduled for this route or too low a load factor?) and re-routed him to Newark Airport via Los Angeles. I suspect he took it in resignation but good grace. Jim, Dee and Greg are scheduled to fly Aspen-Denver-Newark tomorrow. A big storm is bearing down on the Colorado Rockies. They were considering renting a car, but I suggested they ride back to Boulder with me today so that at least they'll be on the appropriate side of the Continental Divide. If the Aussies can't make it out tomorrow, I suspect they will also take it in their stride.
Not so an unidentified passenger who missed her Hong Kong-San Francisco flight on Cathay Pacific and proceeded to throw a tantrum at the airport. Of course, it was caught on video, and of course, it made its way to YouTube. You can see it by clicking here.
She is recognizable, if not yet identified. At least the the face of the skier who earlier this season was caught, literally with his pants down, dangling from a chairlift at Vail. Au contraire. Only his nearest and dearest could have recognized him, and YouTube has tactfully fuzzed out his butt crack, which you can see here. I feel sympathy mainly for his 10-year-old son who remained on the chair -- fully clothed. He'll be discussing this with his shrink in years to come. I hope that Dad has a sense of humor. As for the SFO-bound passenger, she should be ashamed of her childish behavior.
Vail apologized. SharpShooter Photography, whose off-duty photographer captured the chairlift moment, apologized. Cathay Pacific, one of whose agents captured the tantrum on video, apologized. But the incidents are still online for all to see -- and marvel at.
I've been skiing Aspen/Snowmass with friends from east (New Jersey) and west (Australia) this week, and I'm glad that I live within driving distance. Steve was flying back to New Jersey on Wednesday. United canceled his Aspen-Denver flight (too much wind for the aircraft scheduled for this route or too low a load factor?) and re-routed him to Newark Airport via Los Angeles. I suspect he took it in resignation but good grace. Jim, Dee and Greg are scheduled to fly Aspen-Denver-Newark tomorrow. A big storm is bearing down on the Colorado Rockies. They were considering renting a car, but I suggested they ride back to Boulder with me today so that at least they'll be on the appropriate side of the Continental Divide. If the Aussies can't make it out tomorrow, I suspect they will also take it in their stride.
Not so an unidentified passenger who missed her Hong Kong-San Francisco flight on Cathay Pacific and proceeded to throw a tantrum at the airport. Of course, it was caught on video, and of course, it made its way to YouTube. You can see it by clicking here.
She is recognizable, if not yet identified. At least the the face of the skier who earlier this season was caught, literally with his pants down, dangling from a chairlift at Vail. Au contraire. Only his nearest and dearest could have recognized him, and YouTube has tactfully fuzzed out his butt crack, which you can see here. I feel sympathy mainly for his 10-year-old son who remained on the chair -- fully clothed. He'll be discussing this with his shrink in years to come. I hope that Dad has a sense of humor. As for the SFO-bound passenger, she should be ashamed of her childish behavior.
Vail apologized. SharpShooter Photography, whose off-duty photographer captured the chairlift moment, apologized. Cathay Pacific, one of whose agents captured the tantrum on video, apologized. But the incidents are still online for all to see -- and marvel at.
Wyoming Town Honors Rodeo Star
Tiny Kaycee dedicates Chris LeDoux Memorial Park this weekend to big local star
Chris LeDoux was a rodeo star on horseback and on stage. He won the Professional Rodeo world championship in bareback riding in 1976, and he played to capacity crowd concerts at Cheyenne Frontier Days beginning in the mid-1990s. He was inducted into both the Cheyenne Frontier Days and Pro Rodeo Halls of Fame. A highlight of his music career was a top ten hit sung with Garth Brooks, "What You Gonna Do With a Cowboy," and his records sold more than six million worldwide. He died in 2005 at age 56 of a rare form of liver cancer.
This weekend, Kaycee, Wyoming (70 miles north of Casper, population 300) is dedicating the new Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in downtown on land that LeDoux and his wife, Peggy, purchased many years ago. They raised five children on a ranch outside of Kaycee. It dedication includes the unveiling of a monumental life-and-a-half size bronze called “Good Ride Cowboy” by sculptor D. Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming (45 miles north of Kaycee). He began the project shortly after LeDoux’s death. “Chris’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks right in the gut. I always had an idea there needed to be a monument of this fellow. He was Mr. Wyoming,” said Thomas.
Thomas’s 2,300-pound bronze depicts LeDoux spurring for a coveted world champion’s buckle. The base depicts LeDoux’s guitar. Kaycee locals and legions of LeDoux fans raised the funds required for the sculpture. A Cody mold maker, the Caleco Bronze Foundry in Cody and finisher Clay Ward of Deaver, Wyoming, were involved in taking the project for concept to completion. The dedication takes place tomorrow, June 19, and while it's way late for most people to head for Kaycee, the festivities give an iea of how a small town can celebrate a significant local person. The celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. and includes free food and beer prior to the unveiling of the bronze at 3:00 p.m. Afterward, LeDoux’s band, the Western Underground, will play a free concert following the ceremony.
This weekend, Kaycee, Wyoming (70 miles north of Casper, population 300) is dedicating the new Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in downtown on land that LeDoux and his wife, Peggy, purchased many years ago. They raised five children on a ranch outside of Kaycee. It dedication includes the unveiling of a monumental life-and-a-half size bronze called “Good Ride Cowboy” by sculptor D. Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming (45 miles north of Kaycee). He began the project shortly after LeDoux’s death. “Chris’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks right in the gut. I always had an idea there needed to be a monument of this fellow. He was Mr. Wyoming,” said Thomas.
Thomas’s 2,300-pound bronze depicts LeDoux spurring for a coveted world champion’s buckle. The base depicts LeDoux’s guitar. Kaycee locals and legions of LeDoux fans raised the funds required for the sculpture. A Cody mold maker, the Caleco Bronze Foundry in Cody and finisher Clay Ward of Deaver, Wyoming, were involved in taking the project for concept to completion. The dedication takes place tomorrow, June 19, and while it's way late for most people to head for Kaycee, the festivities give an iea of how a small town can celebrate a significant local person. The celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. and includes free food and beer prior to the unveiling of the bronze at 3:00 p.m. Afterward, LeDoux’s band, the Western Underground, will play a free concert following the ceremony.
Best US Cities for Vacationing on a Budget
Discount travel booking site announces its top 10 list
Top 10, top 20, top 100 and top whatever other number you want to pull out of a hat can be pretty tedious, but I'm somehow intrigued by a new one from Hotwire, the discount travel booking site. The Hotwire Travel Value Index lists the cities that offer the greatest values -- note that these aren't necessarily the cheapest but ones that provide good value.
Hotwire scored the cities 25 percent for air, hotel and car-rental discounts; 50 percent on low prices for air, hotel and rental cars, and 25 on overall appeal, affordable entertainment and choice of accommodations. I'm not sure how they came up with these parameters that seem partially redundant, but here's their list of the 10 cities that achieve these requirements (last year's ranking in parentheses, where applicable).
1. Orlando (3)
2. Atlanta (5)
3. Denver (4)
4. Dallas-Fort Worth (2)
5. Phoenix (1)
6. Houston
7. Los Angeles (6)
8. Tampa
9. Washington, DC (7)
10. Chicago
Top 10, top 20, top 100 and top whatever other number you want to pull out of a hat can be pretty tedious, but I'm somehow intrigued by a new one from Hotwire, the discount travel booking site. The Hotwire Travel Value Index lists the cities that offer the greatest values -- note that these aren't necessarily the cheapest but ones that provide good value.
Hotwire scored the cities 25 percent for air, hotel and car-rental discounts; 50 percent on low prices for air, hotel and rental cars, and 25 on overall appeal, affordable entertainment and choice of accommodations. I'm not sure how they came up with these parameters that seem partially redundant, but here's their list of the 10 cities that achieve these requirements (last year's ranking in parentheses, where applicable).
1. Orlando (3)
2. Atlanta (5)
3. Denver (4)
4. Dallas-Fort Worth (2)
5. Phoenix (1)
6. Houston
7. Los Angeles (6)
8. Tampa
9. Washington, DC (7)
10. Chicago
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Book Blog for Armchair Travelers and Otherwise
A Traveler's Library finds and reviews travel books, films and more
A lifetime ago, I read Helen MacInnes's The Salzburg Connection while in Salzburg and the lake region called the Salzkammergut. I re-read Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises in Spain and A Farewell to Arms after returning from Slovenia. Peter Matthiesen's The Tree Where Man Was Born came to Tanzania with me, and Peter Hessler's River Town and Simon Winchester's The River at the Center of the World provided insights to life on the Yangtze in particular and China in general. And I've happily slogged through many a James Michener tome when traveling in places he wrote about. After returning from Easter Island, I rented "Rapa Nui." Loved the island. Hated the movie. And so my reading and my reading, and occasionally film watching, run in parallel chairs, often intertwining like a braided river, with the experience and the book merging and diverging.
In truth, because I work with words all day, I don't read nearly as much as I once did -- except when I am traveling. So when my friend Rosemary recommended her friend Vera's blog, A Traveler's Library, I found a kindred spirit. I enjoyed roaming through it, and I hope you will too. And while you're at it, check out Feast, Rosemary's eZine, which celebrates travel and also food, films, literature and art.
In truth, because I work with words all day, I don't read nearly as much as I once did -- except when I am traveling. So when my friend Rosemary recommended her friend Vera's blog, A Traveler's Library, I found a kindred spirit. I enjoyed roaming through it, and I hope you will too. And while you're at it, check out Feast, Rosemary's eZine, which celebrates travel and also food, films, literature and art.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Holland America Donates Toiletries to Shelters
Cruise line does an environmental and humane good deed
Years ago, Denver's Queen Anne Inn began donating partially used bottles of shampoo and soap left by guests to a local homeless shelter. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, delegates to the Society of American Travel Writers annual convention were asked to bring toiletries liberated from hotels to be packed and sent to relief shelters -- and we responded. Therefore, the CNN.com headline "Cruise Line Donates Items Once Discarded" resonated with me. Diverting small bottles of toiletries from landfills and distributing them where they are useful made sense before, and it makes sense now.
Until recently, Holland America sent thousands of shampoo bottles and soaps, used or unused, into landfills. "But then the cruise line came up with a new use for the discarded items. They are now collected, separated into bins and brought through Customs at ports of call," CNN.com reported. Even though the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming and certainly not profitable, the Holland America launched a program called Ship to Shelter in Seattle, where the line is based, and recently expanded it to Port Everglades, Florida.
The report quoted Marti Forman Florida's Cooperative Feeding Program, which feeds about 400 people a day and provides hot meals and showers for homeless men and women and is feeling pinched during this recession. "The donations aren't there, the cash donations in order to be able to have expenditures like that to us have become a luxury item," Forman said. "If we have to decide between people having shampoo [or] people having something to eat, we're going to opt to have the food for them." With the cruise line's donations, she said that her program no longer needs to make that choice and has also seen an increase in the number of people coming to the shelter to use the showers.
For its part, Holland America now has also begun to donate TVs, crew uniforms, plates, silverware, and pots and pans, and as word got around among passengers, people have started to leave behind clothing, books and other items for Holland American to add to their donations to help the homeless.
Years ago, Denver's Queen Anne Inn began donating partially used bottles of shampoo and soap left by guests to a local homeless shelter. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, delegates to the Society of American Travel Writers annual convention were asked to bring toiletries liberated from hotels to be packed and sent to relief shelters -- and we responded. Therefore, the CNN.com headline "Cruise Line Donates Items Once Discarded" resonated with me. Diverting small bottles of toiletries from landfills and distributing them where they are useful made sense before, and it makes sense now.
Until recently, Holland America sent thousands of shampoo bottles and soaps, used or unused, into landfills. "But then the cruise line came up with a new use for the discarded items. They are now collected, separated into bins and brought through Customs at ports of call," CNN.com reported. Even though the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming and certainly not profitable, the Holland America launched a program called Ship to Shelter in Seattle, where the line is based, and recently expanded it to Port Everglades, Florida.
The report quoted Marti Forman Florida's Cooperative Feeding Program, which feeds about 400 people a day and provides hot meals and showers for homeless men and women and is feeling pinched during this recession. "The donations aren't there, the cash donations in order to be able to have expenditures like that to us have become a luxury item," Forman said. "If we have to decide between people having shampoo [or] people having something to eat, we're going to opt to have the food for them." With the cruise line's donations, she said that her program no longer needs to make that choice and has also seen an increase in the number of people coming to the shelter to use the showers.
For its part, Holland America now has also begun to donate TVs, crew uniforms, plates, silverware, and pots and pans, and as word got around among passengers, people have started to leave behind clothing, books and other items for Holland American to add to their donations to help the homeless.
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