There are some great travel writers out there; big names like Rolf Potts and Paul Theroux come to mind. There are even online communities like the Matador Network that promote up and coming travel writers, aspiring to a profession where they actually get paid to travel. But despite lugging around a journal and a camera, not everyone is destined to pursue such career.
For the 10th anniversary issues, the editors over at Budget Travel decided to enlist readers to do the writing and photography. Although as Editor in Chief Erik Torkells put it, “I hesitate to make fun of any of our readers, but…a few of the pitches we got were kind of funny.”
So here is a sampling of the stories that weren’t assigned:
“China. Most challenging restroom facilities. Especially for women. Title: Bathrooms I have Known.”
“My dream trip to Tahiti turned out to be a disaster. I vomited on the French man beside me.”
“I always thought it would be really cool to make a coffee table book about toilets around the world. Everyone needs them, uses them and they are such a cultural thing… I’ve heard of the places that are just a hole you stand over. And, since this could be a monumental project… but you would pay the tab… I say we choose a venue that would over a lot of toilets, yet not be a round the world trip. Toilets of the Orient Express. I think it has a nice ring to it…”
“Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium: The best destinations for your final days. A story about death tourism, or the practice of some persons choosing to die in a country other than their own, would certainly grab the attention of readers.”
For more un-assigned pitches, go here.