More Travel Websites to Watch

by Adrienne Wilson on

The Arizona Republic online runs a piece today (originally
found in the Washington Post) featuring 10 websites for travelers to bookmark if you already haven’t. Skimming down the
list I noticed one or two that I had been hip to in the past like Newyorkology, a
long time blog with an insider’s perspective on the city as well TurnHere,
which Erik gave praise to not too long ago and is
definitely worth checking out. I just spent half an hour watching some of the top rated and lesser rated flicks
showcasing neighborhoods like San Fran’s
Russian Hill where the famous Vladic Pavlov searches for his native cuisine in this historic area. The comical and
informative piece is a sure way to remember to visit this particular neighborhood on your travels.

Anyhow,
others on the list include Sportsgroupie for sports fanatics, Gladtravel for hotel stays in the Hawaiian islands under $99 and Hotelbook for people who prefer independent digs over the well-known chains. The best
part about their list is they point out some of the pro’s and con’s about each site, but try not to let the con’s steer
you away. I’m sure it’s to your best advantage to check them all out.

Dead Sea Float

by Erik Olsen on

There are some who say you  haven’t lived until
you’ve floated in the Dead Sea. I’m not so sure. I was in Israel for my honeymoon several years ago, and we
stopped off to do a Dead Sea float to see what the hullabaloo was all about. The hullabaloo, dear friends, smells bad.
Yes, despite all of the proclaimed therapeutic effects of Dead Sea water for your skin and sprit, the simple fact is
the water smells like rotten eggs and well, other stuff that I can’t quite remember, but which I think have something
to do with garbage.

Now, all that said, floating in the Dead Sea is also fun. It is. The salt content in the
Dead Sea (really a big salty lake…well, a big SHRINKING salty lake) is so high, that the water is more dense than
regular water. That means when you put your body into it, you actually don’t sink as far down into the surface. That is
a very interesting experience, let me tell you, to have your body "elevated" a few inches higher in the water
than you are used to. Makes you wonder a bit whether Jesus was just a really light guy and maybe they were talking
about the Dead Sea when they said he walked on water. Dunno, just a thought.

And since we’re on the subject
of the Dead Sea and floating and health, well, here’s
an article about that very subject.

Bangkok's Charms

by Erik Olsen on

I lived
in Bangkok years ago, and I have to say I have mixed feelings about the city. On the one hand, it is a sprawling,
polluted, congested, smelly, sin-addled place. On the other hand, it can be one of the most exotic and interesting
cities you will ever visit. I lived up Sukhumvit road and lived among a bunch of Thai middle class folks who generally
worked for the government or for the nearby oil company, whose building was tucked away behind iron gates, and whose
gleaming glass facade was totally incongruous to the huts that squatted next to it. Then there was the guy selling
roasted cockroaches right outside the new McDonalds. Or was it Burger king? I forget, but you get the point.

Alas, such are Bangkok’s charms. And so it’s always cool to read about others’ experiences in that
city, for example, in this piece over at the Globe and
Mail, wherein writer Guy Nicholson waxes positive (with reservation) about Bangkok’s charms. It’s funny too.
He returns to Bangkok with his wife after ten years since he had last visited it. I did almost the same thing. I
returned with my wife, as well after about eight years. And I do have to say that the city changed a lot. But it also
didn’t change that much. It was a wee bit cleaner, and the new train really seems to have helped the traffic
situation. But the cockroach sellers are still there and the city still had a decidedly rancid Third World fragrance.
But I remain a fan, and probably always will.

Torekimi Japan Photos and Links

by Adrienne Wilson on

As curious as
you are to know what we here think is cool enough to blog about on travel (or lame enough to question) we’re just as
interested in knowing about what you guys think, where you travel, or just nosy enough  to spend several hours
gawking and envying your totally awesome photoblogs online. (Okay, I speak for myself and not all the contributors
here.) Anywho – It was me who noticed the recent comment of a reader and decided to dash off to their site though it
indicated nothing about travel and man was I ever glad that I did!

This torekimi.com site is a photoblog featuring some incredibly cool shots of Japan that
get my heels clicking and feet antsy as ever to finally make a trip over to Tokyo – if only for a weekend. Temples,
gateways, zoo-trips, elephants, city lights and a variety of everyday shots
of life in Japan can be found here. Just as I was tempted to share one of these spectacular works of art with the rest
of you here I noticed she said she would send some folks from the Staatsanwaltschaft (a word far too foreign and large for me
to fool around with) after me. To divert my attention and tempting hands from doing such things she’s listed some
equally exciting links on Japan like this Quirky Japan website. They’ve got
some pretty nifty photos online as well and since there was
no threatening message attached I opted to display one of them here. It is a picture of an old fashioned brothel in an
area called Tennoji.

In summary – two fantastic Japan sites to most definitely check out.

Gadling Spring Cleaning: Saree Shopping

by Adrienne Wilson on

One more day and your
spring cleaning chores will have come to an end. Since you will have been one of few to finish the task before the
weekend you’ll get to sit back, relax and finally plan your trip to one of the destinations featured in this short-run
series to claim your valuable new spring attire. (Your closet should be looking pretty empty by now.) All this is
getting ahead of ourselves though. I’m sure the women still have much more work to do than the men so I’m tossing
another item to help re-clutter your closet your way.

Today’s recommendation: Scour the internet for a
beautiful handwork saree and get ready to explore exotic India. The saree is a piece of fabric 5-6 yards in width which
isn’t really a dress but must be draped correctly in order to achieve a fully dressed effect. It is a traditional
garment in India and comes in a multitude of colors and styles. There are quite a few sites online to help one learn
about the history of saree and purchase as well with a few listed below. Start your shopping at Home India who looks to be
tossing in some pretty sweet embroidered mojaris (shoes) with any handwork saree purchase.

Other spots to
look into:

  • Gagan.com – Saree
    how-to and selection for sale.
  • Saree
    Online     – Amazing collection of casual and fancy saree for purchase.
  • Daily Candy – Part II on their guide to India
    this spring.
  • Incredible India – Everything you need to know
    about travel in India. Check out the events page to see wear you might want to  sport your saree.