Hanoi is water-logged

by Jamie Rhein on

Heavens! Hanoi, one of my most favorite cities is braving through floods these days–the worst in more than twenty years. I’ve visited Hanoi on several occasions, but never in rains like this. I do recall slogging through Taipei in a downpour once and needing to wring out my socks in a restaurant sink, but Hanoi’s woes are far greater.

There are a few videos on YouTube that chronicle the floods, but I chose this one that was posted two days ago because of the personal narrative. It reminds me of that feeling of being soaked. Plus, the Hello Kitty umbrella the one guy is holding is so Asian.

According to the description, the flooding became worse after the video was taken. Here’s the New York Times article that gives details about the disaster. The article says that the flooding will continue to worsen through tomorrow. Parts of northern Vietnam are also being affected. I’ve e-mailed a good friend of ours who lives in Hanoi, not far from the old quarter but so far, have heard nothing back.

Cruises still a good bargain, says Arthur Frommer

by Aaron Hotfelder on

In this week’s Budget Travel article, travel guru Arthur Frommer has the skinny on a number of cruises throughout the world that might actually be cheaper than living at home. With many cruise lines forced to lower their prices due to shrinking demand, Frommer writers, travelers can find themselves great deals on even upscale ships.

Here are a couple of the best deals Frommer cites:

  • A 14-night Celebrity cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Valparaiso, Chile, for only $449. That works out to about $32 per day, which, as Frommer notes, might be cheaper than living at home.
  • A 12-night cruise on the Mediterranean starting in Barcelona for $849. But get this: the price includes airfare from New York. (Other fees apply though)
  • A 7-night cruise of the Mexican Riviera, departing from San Diego, starting as low as $449.

Admittedly, going on cruises isn’t really my style, but if they get any cheaper I might have to develop a new style.

Read the full article here.

Flight attendant ruled too fat to fly

by Meg Massie on

A 20-year legal battle between Philippine Airlines and flight steward Armanda Yrasuegi has finally ended with a Supreme Court ruling that grounds Yrasuegi for good. The airline dismissed Yrasuegi in 1989, because the 5’8 217-pound man had failed to lose weight, as required in his contract.

Yrasuegi cried discrimination, stating that his weight was a “sickness and physical abnormality” beyond his control, but this argument carried little weight when the flight attendant refused repeated offers of medical weight loss assistance. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling in favor of the airline, stating that Yrasuegi’s weight “indicates absence of willpower rather than an illness.”

The ruling went on to say that Yrasuegi’s weight would likely keep him from performing his job efficiently, especially in the case of an emergency. According to Gadling’s own flight attendant, Heather Poole, flight attendants must be able to fit through the exit door and buckle up in the jump seat, which may be difficult for a man nearly 60 pounds overweight.

The airline industry is one of the few where weight requirements aren’t discrimination, but rather simply necessary. We don’t know what Yrasuegi’s contract with Philippine Airlines specifically required in terms of weight, but it doesn’t seem that any airlines are asking their employees to have unrealistic Hollywood bodies. It also sounds like Philippine Airlines was willing to pay for its employee’s weight loss program — how many other companies would do that?

Who Else is Causing Trouble in the Skies?


20 recession busting tips from a family friendly travel site

by Scott Carmichael on

Family friendly travel site wejustgotback.com has posted a list of 20 tips for dealing with trips during these bleak economic times.

The list contains some fairly logical tips like wisely picking a destination based on the driving distance, but also some pretty savvy ones like how to haggle with the hotel manager for some free perks.

The site also does some homework for you, listing some of the best travel deals available, with the emphasis on family friendly hotels and free activities around the country.

What impressed me most, is that they also do the math on some of these deals, and explain why a deal may not be as “hot” as it seems.

Wejustgotback is easy to navigate, and the site is broken down into several sections. Anyone who travels with kids will appreciate the “tip sheets”, where parents can read tips submitted by other readers, or where you can submit your own tips. After all, nothing beats real life experience. Many parts of the site can only be accessed after a quick and free registration.

Another fantastic resource on the site is the “search by child’s age” feature, located in the left column. In the results from that search, you will find guides on how to travel with a toddler or how to entertain your kids on their first cruise. Like most sections on the site, these guides also contain content supplied by readers.

I’ve spent most of the morning browsing through the information posted on Wejustgotback, and it really does contain a ton of great stuff. What impresses me most is the balance between their own articles and real life experience from readers. If you travel with kids, I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are planning a trip or if you just need some idea on where to go next summer.

Bird’s eye view of Canada’s longest footbridge

by Jerry Guo on

Since Wednesdays are always long, thought I’d post this video of one of the longest footbridges in the world. Trust me, as someone who had to cross too many of these things mucking around in the Himalayans a couple months ago, I know these bridges are quite scary up close–especially when there’s a strong wind and a pack of mules behind you waiting to cross.

More pics here.