Could you spend 30 entire days on an airplane?

by Grant Martin on

Most people can’t stand spending more than 30 minutes on an airplane, but Mark Malkoff is actually spending 30 days on one. It’s part of a PR scheme and wild plan by AirTran to generate some buzz about the carrier.

Apparently Mark will be bouncing between AirTrain aircraft all month — even sleeping on them at night — and recording the content. You can follow along with the whole thing over at markonairtran.com and imagine the misery of living on a 737 firsthand.

Needless to say, some of the content is pretty hilarious, including this demonstration proving that you can suck and entire roll of toilet paper down an airplane toilet in one flush. Amazing. And weird. And amazing.

[Via The Cranky Flier]

Dim Sum Dialogues : An Introduction

by Stephen Greenwood on

This post is the first installment in a twice-weekly feature column covering the culture, sights, sounds and current events of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

I think the best way that I can introduce myself is to explain how I ended up in Hong Kong.

A year ago I graduated from UCLA’s film school after studying interactive design & media for two years and documentary film for two years. With no firm job offers and an eager desire to travel, I accepted an invitation to chronicle the construction of an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania. Our original assignment got sidetracked when we stumbled upon a different orphanage that had essentially been abandoned by its staff and financiers. We sought to find out how this could happen, and what it could tell us about the larger picture of international aid in countries like Tanzania.

My partner on the project is a classmate from UCLA, and a native of Hong Kong. He invited me to return to Hong Kong to edit the material together. After six months of eating beans & rice, a bout of malaria, and once-a-week hot showers, the glittering skyline of Hong Kong sounded pretty appealing. Okay, very appealing.

It’s been nearly four months since I arrived on the Asian continent, and I’ve long forgotten chips mayai for tasty dai pai dong and the unpredictable dalla dallas for the ultra-efficient MTR. I’ve been lost in shopping malls that surpass the luxury and scale of any that I’ve found in America, and been engaged by the blend of modernity and ancient Chinese culture.The title of this series, Dim Sum Dialogues, stems from a famous type of Chinese cuisine. Dim sum literally means “a bit of heart” or “touch heart”, because it was originally only served as a light snack – not a main meal. It’s a practice traditionally served from early morning until noon, intended to be an occasion shared with family members or close friends with long conversations over many cups of tea. I like the idea of Dim Sum as a practice, and I want this series to be simply something that serves as a snack until you are curious enough to find out more about Asia by yourself. I want it to be something that engages you to debate, ask questions and participate with me, as if a friendly conversation over a long serving of steamed buns and rice noodle rolls. And occasionally, I hope the naiveté of a westerner’s first experience in Asia makes you laugh.

I’ll be covering my revelations about Chinese culture, the colorful history that has shaped Hong Kong, and applicable current events from all over Southeast Asia. Occasionally, I’ll be reflecting on my experiences from Africa as we continue to edit the project and make follow up trips to Tanzania. So whether you’re fluent in Cantonese or have never even considered making a trip to see the Great Wall, I hope that you’ll find something in this series that you enjoy – and that you’ll join in the dialogue too.

– Stephen

Do you annoy people with your travel tales?

by Jamie Rhein on

It’s not uncommon for people who live overseas to complain about people back home who don’t want to hear about their journeys. They recount the eye rolls and vacant looks. A woman I know once lamented that she just couldn’t get excited hearing about one of her relative’s new deck or window treatments whenever she returned to the U.S. After all, she’d just been on a run past cows in the streets of New Delhi. How could a new deck compete with that?

Maybe a new deck can’t compete with a cow, unless you’re the person thrilled with the deck. Or that those drafty windows are long gone. And, perhaps the idea of running past cows milling through garbage isn’t all that alluring. Isn’t there the idea that one person’s junk might be another person’s treasure?

In Brave New Traveler, there’s a food for thought article by Christine Gavin that looks at the communication pitfalls when it comes to talking about ones experiences–whether you’re talking with another world traveler, or to your relative who is serving you dinner on that brand new deck. She calls it a “holier than thou” attitude.

From what she says, and I concur, it’s not that people don’t want to hear travel tales, it’s just that they want you to be interested in what they have been up to as well. People aren’t fond of braggarts—particularly those who feel they are at the top of the pack of people worthy of attention. Then again, maybe they just aren’t that interested. In that case, it doesn’t hurt to say, “Nice deck.”

Gadlinks for Wednesday 6.17.09

by Brenda Yun on


Happy Hump Day, everyone! Here are the latest Gadlinks from the travel blogosphere.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

For past Gadlinks, click HERE.

Yo-Yo travel to day hike ventures on the Continental Divide

by Jamie Rhein on

For National Trails Day this past weekend, I hoofed it around Manhattan making my own trail between 2nd Avenue and the Hudson River and back, criss-crossing streets that had trees that depended upon which park I happened to pass. People watching was more my past-time than communing with nature.

For a few days late nod to National Trails Day, I’ve become engrossed in the hiking trails to be found along the Continental Divide. It all started when I found a video of Francis Tapon’s 6,000 mile trip along the Continental Divide. Tapon, a walking type traveler that must sport some great boots, took this journey two years ago.

This travel feat, the first yo-yo trip of the Divide where a person begins and ends in the same place, was one where Tapon passed through scenery quite opposite to my journey around Manhattan. Tapon’s scenery fit song lyrics to elementary music class favorites like “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful” –as cornball as that sounds.

The snapshots also pay tribute to the notion that spring weather in the United States is not the same. Although some people are throwing backyard barbecues and tossing back beers to cool off by Memorial Day, other places are still covered with snow. As Tapon passed along the trail, the snow lessened.

A person doesn’t have to be a hiking animal like Tapon to partake in the enjoyment. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail offers several options. There are day hikes and longer that have been mapped out by folks who have made trail development and maintenance their passion. Here’s are links on the Continental Divide Trail Alliance website to hikes in Montana and Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. One detail I appreciate about this website is how the trails have been organized according to which ones are family-friendly to difficult. Family-friendly designates those that are easier to traverse. The trail descriptions also provide information about how to get to particular trail heads and variations on hiking in each location.

From browsing the list, here is one hike from each area that I can personally vouch for based on experience. I’ve seen these spots myself. There’s a big difference in the scenery among these choices which adds to the notion that if you’ve seen one, you definitely have not seen them all:

  • Anaconda/Pintler Wilderness–Montana. I pass through here each summer on the way to Philipsburg. Anaconda, the town with the same name is touted as “Where Main Street Meets the Mountains.” A brother of a friend of mine camped at Lost Creek State Park campground near here and said it was the most gorgeous place he’s ever been.
  • Rocky Mountain National Park–Colorado. When I hiked here, the wildflowers were gorgeous. I was by myself and did not see another person for the few hours I set out to enjoy the scenery.
  • San Pedro Parks Wilderness, Santa Fe National Forest–New Mexico. If you head to this trail in the winter, cross-country skiing is in order. Cross-country skiing in New Mexico is sublime.
  • Shosone Lake Loop, Yellowstone National Park. When I was in Yellowstone, I hiked in back of the Roosevelt Lodge. The Shosone Lake Loop is closest to Old Faithful. You can’t go wrong in Yellowstone wherever you roam. Old Faithful is worth hanging around for as long as you’re in the area.