Gadlinks for Wednesday 6.10.09

by Brenda Yun on

Here’s a sampling of the best of the rest from around the travel world:

  • Planet Eye brings us a great list of eco-travel mistakes. After a month of traveling back and forth between the mainland and Hawaii I’m feeling like I should memorize this list.
  • This summer could be the year of traveling by hobby, and the Independent Traveler has a cool list of outfitters and online resources to get you started.
  • MSNBC breaks down the world wide web’s newest online travel sites.
  • Why do you need to write a good travel story when you can write a bad one? World Hum brings us a humorous list of suggestions on how to write crappy travel tales.
  • Do you like dim sum — or just staring at the meat hanging in Chinatown store windows? BootsNAll brings us a great list of the world’s best Chinatowns.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

For past Gadlinks, click HERE.

Vote for America’s best bathroom

by Sean McLachlan on

It’s a room we visit several times each day, but the humble bathroom (john, head, bog, loo, etc.) is rarely celebrated in its true glory. Cintas Facility Services, a leading provider of bathroom supplies, wants to change that with its America’s Best Restroom Award. Check out their website to see the nominees and vote for your favorite. A good bathroom is the traveler’s best friend, and should be appreciated.

But we here at Gadling are too well traveled to get all starry-eyed about the glories of the garderobe. We’ve dealt with squishy Asian squat, public lavatory putrescence, and outhouse odor. So let’s hear your votes for the world’s worst bathrooms. Here’s my nominee:

In 1996 I left the Iranian border town of Zahedan and entered Pakistan. My first stop was Taftan, a miserable hole if I ever saw one. The streets were nothing but sand. Trash blew between bare concrete houses. Moneychangers swarmed around me like flies. Flies swarmed around me like moneychangers. Then disaster struck–I had to go to the bathroom.

The public toilet next to the bus station was an area about ten feet to a side enclosed by a concrete wall. There was no roof. There was no door, only a blind turn before you entered a sandbox that looked just like the street except that it was covered in crap. The flies here were so thick that I put my bandanna over my nose and mouth so I didn’t inhale any. There was no escaping the smell. I picked my way through a minefield of human waste until I found a clear spot for both my feet. The flies were relentless, and I had to fan myself constantly so they didn’t get stuck to my business end.

Like everywhere in South Asia, foreigners get stared at in Pakistan, and they make no exception for foreigners squatting with their pants down. A small crowd of other squatters stared at me with undisguised curiosity as I did what I needed to do and fled as quick as I could.

I only stayed in Taftan an hour until I could catch a bus for Quetta, but I will always remember the bathroom there, and the fact that I got pick-pocketed. They only got about five dollars worth of Iranian rials, but it’s the thought that counts. The thought of some guy’s hand in my pocket. I hope, I pray, that it wasn’t one of the guys watching me in the bathroom.

Think you can beat that? Give it your best shot.

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American journalists get the max in North Korean court

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters with Current TV, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor this morning – the maximum sentence under law. The five-day trial yielded a verdict of guilt for the “grave crime” of illegally crossing into North Korea, the Korea Central News Agency reported, according to MSNBC. The English version of the story, at least, has not yet made it to the KCNA’s website, where the lead story involves Kim Jong Il’s visit to Kosan Fruit Farm.

The sentence is being called “reform through labor,” and no other details are provided. Under North Korean law, the two journalists will be moved to prison within 10 days of the verdict. Lee and Ling are unable to appeal, as they have already been convicted by the country’s highest court: the decisions are final. The trial was not open to the public, and representatives from the Swedish Embassy, which acts as a liaison for many western nations, was not permitted to observe.

Yet, this may not be the end of the road.

There are some analysts who believe that the conviction is part of a greater negotiating ploy in North Korea, which is effectively holding the journalists hostage in order to gain concessions, such as humanitarian aid. If the isolated nation gets what it wants, Lee and Ling would likely receive pardons. Of course, the “nuclear issue” remains in the background, as well.

Though little has been released about the circumstances of the journalists’ apprehension, it has been revealed that the two were investigating and reporting on human trafficking along the border. What is not clear, however, is whether they actually crossed into North Korea.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Laid off? Take off! Intrepid extends deal

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Layoffs may be slowing down a little, but they’re still coming. So, if you need to disappear to collect your thoughts for a while, Intrepid Travel is still willing to help. The company has extended its 15 percent discount for recent layoff victims, which are good on more than 400 Intrepid adventures in more than 90 countries. The catch? You need to book by the last day of 2009.

To take advantage of the “Laid Off Take Off” deal, all you need to do is show proof that you were laid off since 2008, and you’re in. Even without the discount, Intrepid’s trips tend to cost less than $100 a day, including accommodations, land transportation, local guides and some meals. Small groups, public transportation and local restaurant and hotel participants add a bit of authenticity to the experience.

According to Darrell Wade, co-founder of Intrepid Travel, “Our Thailand trips start from $45 a day and many people have told us they can’t live at home for that, so as strange as it sounds, they save money by traveling. We’ve been traveling to the region for 20 years and our trips are jam packed with the kind of experiences that will take people away from the every day and give them time to reassess and work out their next move.”

The “Laid Off Take Off” deal was kicked off last November, and since then, Asia has been the top destination, welcoming more than half of Intrepid’s guests under this program. Africa follows, with a bit over 27 percent of the bookings, and Latin American is next at 13.5 percent. Trips can stretch from eight to 60 days, with an average of 18.

Gadlinks for Thursday 6.4.09

by Brenda Yun on

Twenty years ago today, on June 4, 1989, Chinese army troops stormed Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush the pro-democracy movement. Hundreds – possibly thousands – of people died. This video of Tank Man remains one of history’s most iconic moments.

…and today we have a good collection of Gadlinks. Check these out:

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

For past Gadlinks, click HERE.