Gadling

Where was your photo taken: De La Concha, a tobacconist in mid-town Manhattan. This is my home away from home, where I do my writing, watch tourists come to my city and turn cigars into ashes.

Where do you live now: I’m on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, near the wine shop-no, the other one.

Scariest airline flown: Icelandair-it wasn’t so much frightening as brutal. You can tell the airline is state-owned.

Favorite city/country/place: There’s nothing quite like a cigar and a Provençal red at the Chevre d’Or in Eze, France.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Paeju, South Korea-it may not sound remote, but it’s inches from the Demilitarized Zone, one of the most dangerous places on Earth.

Favorite guidebook series: I don’t really use guidebooks. I prefer to hit the ground with a map in hand. I’ll figure the rest out on my own.

Dream travel destination: I’d like to go anywhere most people can’t. Pyongyang, North Korea is at the top of my list. I’d love to experience the wide, traffic-free streets. Also, I’d like to get to Baghdad, Iraq in the near future. I need a thrill.

Solo traveler or group traveler? Generally, I prefer to go solo. I don’t like waiting for people, and there’s nothing … NOTHING … worse than watching five people try to figure out where to have lunch. It’s moronic.

Favorite means of transportation: Ol’ fashioned shoe leather.

Country with the most beautiful women/men: South Korea-by far.

Where do you hide your emergency cash? Wouldn’t you like to know …

Re-introducing Gadling’s newest returning blogger, Karen Walrond:

1. Where was your photo taken: At a departure gate at Piarco International Airport, in my homeland of Trinidad & Tobago.

2. Where do you live now: Houston, Texas, USA

3. Scariest airline flown: Well, I’m the Queen of the Aborted Landing: for some reason, I’ve been on an alarming number of airlines that, upon coming in for a landing, suddenly change their minds, accelerate and ascend rapidly. They freak me out every time. And seriously, if you’re ever on a flight where this happens, take a look around, locate me, and wave, because I’m likely on board.

4. Favourite city/country/place: When I’m looking to visit a city, I pretty much love both Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Paris, France. If I’m looking for beaches and scuba diving, however, Cayman’s my fave.

5. Most remote corner of the globe visited: My husband and I spent our honeymoon on the island of Mauritius. Beautiful, beautiful place.

6. Favourite guidebook series: When I travel to a new city for a short visit, I often take advantage of Fodors.com. However, glancing at my library as I type this, it looks like the Lonely Planet series is my favourite!

7. Leeches or mosquitos? THESE are my choices?

8. Where would you buy a second home/retire? Definitely somewhere near the ocean, or at the very least, a large body of water. Being a tropical girl, the Caribbean would be ideal; however, any shoreline will do.

9. Traveler’s resume: where have you been? At last count: United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Aruba, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Cayman, Puerto Rico, England, Ireland, Spain, France, Norway, Italy, Greece, Belgium, The Netherlands, Scotland, Wales, The Canary Islands, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Oman, China. I’m seriously hoping that I get to add Australia, Japan and South Africa to this list some day.

Where was your photo taken: LaGuardia Airport. Delayed.

Where do you live now: New York City, Upper West Side.

Scariest airline flown: I once flew on a nameless airline from the top of a mountain in Africa down to Dar es Salaam. I was scared because it had a propeller, and that just makes me think of after-school cartoons like Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, and Duck Tales. Remember Launchpad McQuack? Totally not cool, guys.

Favorite city/country/place: I love Minneapolis, which is my hometown. It’s a beautiful city all built up around lakes. Genius. Word to the wise: it’s not cold there all the time; they have all four seasons and each is gorgeous. Winter just happens to be long and made of freezing pain. I assume that when the settlers passed through there and decided to build, it was summer. When winter came, they must have been like “oops…I blame you, Sven.” I’m also a big fan of Manhattan, which is why I live here, and the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen were in Scotland.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: I guess the Ngorongoro Crater.

Favorite guidebook series: Guidebooks? I’m more likely to pick up brochures for local attractions at my hotel, or ask around for what’s cool to do. I know there are really good guidebooks out there, but I’m like a man in some ways. I have trouble confessing I don’t know where I am.

Favorite tourist trap: Broadway. The Great White Way is crawling with tourists like a virus, and they all stop walking randomly in the middle of the street, but the shows are worth it. Okay, the shows are often worth it.

Dream travel destination: Bimini Island. It’s where Hemingway used to hang out and write. I want to go there and scuba dive with dolphins and look for Atlantis.

The first thing I set out to pack is…The perfect dress for a night out in [place]. Then I get there and buy something else I wear instead. It’s sort of tradition.

Where was your photo taken: At a shop in Nakano Broadway market in Tokyo, Japan. This tiny umbrella was the most logical product that was sold there. This may have been the least.