Lonely Planet's Passport Passion

by Erik Olsen on

Get out!

Is this the
terrifying scream of evil spirits inside your house. Nope, this is the call to action from the folks at Lonely Planet, who want nothing more
than for you to leave the country. You see, they are suggesting a really wonderful idea. By getting away, they suggest,
you do your own country some good. Not because we didn’t really want you here in the first place, but because when you
go abroad, you act as an ambassador of goodwill…assuming you’re not some loud, drunk, arrogant, hat-turned-backwards
frat-boy…in that case, we suggest you not only stay home, but go somewhere with all your friends and bang drums by
yourselves in the wilderness. Anyway, the LP points out (rightly) that American travelers can serve as "agents of
understanding, tolerance and mutual respect " as they travel out into the world and interact with people in other
nations. But they also say that just 23% of Americans have passports. Could that be true? My, that’s a low number.

Well I for one couldn’t agree more that travel helps you and helps others know you. Nothing will make this
world a more lovely place than greater mutual understanding. It’s much harder to hate someone you know than it is to
make up a blanket statement about them and channel all your personal fears and hang-ups into a self-created image…if
you don’t mind me getting psychological on your a$$es for a moment.

Anyway, take the LP advice. If you don’t
have a passport now, go get one. You’ll be doing all of us a favor.

Reminder: Take the Test

by Erik Olsen on


Hey, it
was just yesterday we posted about
the National Geographic Roper Survey where you
can test your geographic IQ. We would like, nay, we insist you go and take the test. We desperately want to find out
how informed gadling readers are about the world. Give it a try. It won’t hurt.

And then tell us your
score.


World's Oddest Museums

by Erik Olsen on

Ah, the great museums of the world: the Louvre, the Met,
the Hermitage, the Sulabh International Museum of
Toilets. What? You’ve never heard of the toilet museum? And you call yourself cultured. Pshaw.

OK, I’d never heard of it either. Nor several of the other rather odd museums mentioned in this piece by Jason
Volker. Volker covers a lot of territory, spanning the globe in search of the weirdest places that people have
collected weird things and put them on display for (let’s admit it) weird people.

Also making the
list is the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Japan, and the
British Lawnmower Museum in Lancashire, the kind of place that Monty Python
fans would most definitely feel at home. So next time you’re in India, drop in on the toilet museum. I’ve always
wondered where all the toilets in India went.

Cheers to World Hum's Five Years Online!

by Adrienne Wilson on

Learning that one of your favorite websites on the
entire planet Earth is no more than web dust or completely awash while surfing the world wide web can be a heart
wrenching experience and quite frankly it happens far too often. Just when you discover a Mecca of untapped brilliant
travel stories out of Papua New Guinea or on some lesser explored region in Algeria two days later the domain no longer
exists. I don’t know about you, but this sort of thing sends me to sleep in weeping fits some nights, but on the
brighter side there is one great place people across continents can type into their browsers and still find amazing
travel stories and related blurbs for days. The site is no stranger to the folks here at Gadling and shouldn’t be to
some of you out there, so if you would I’d like to give a quick round of sound to World Hum which celebrates five years online this entire month of May.
Happy Birthday World Hum!

Aromatic House of Kabob

by Adrienne Wilson on

Walking into Olde City’s Aromatic House of Kabob is like walking into a modern day Persian food asylum
on the opposite end of the world. I stumbled inside one rainy Philadelphia day searching for a dry place to warm up and
refuel. What I found was a soothing trickling fountain in the center of the restaurant, a Hookah bar, and a heavenly
mixture of aromas floating throughout the spaces between dining tables. My friend and I were tucked away in a cozy
corner table underneath the red, glowing, neon lights welcoming guests from the gray streets outdoors to the warm
atmosphere indoors. Now, whenever I enter a Persian restaurant I always inquire about my beloved fesenjoon, hoping that
even if it’s not on the menu someone will hear my hunger cries and whip up a serving big enough to last me for years.
Like most Kabob places fesenjoon wasn’t found on the menu and they weren’t about to prepare the difficult dish just for
me, but my waiter did a fine job picking out a meal that would tickle my fancy and tastebuds just fine that cold
afternoon.

What he pointed me to is the same thing I’m going to point any of you to should you happen to
accidentally or purposely find your way to the establishment – the Super
Persian Sandwich. This sautéed spinach, tomato, mushroom, feta cheese with your choice of lamb or
chicken blanketed in warm wrapped bread is a crowd pleaser hands down. Look for it under the famous dishes on the menu
and with one bite you’ll instantly know why. I wanted to melt in my seat, cry tears of joy and laughter and order
seconds though the super sized sandwich is quite big enough. Food that tastes good is one thing, but food that evokes
emotions and the courage to breakaway and travel afar is another. While my trip to the Middle East is still patiently
awaiting my arrival you needn’t plan to go so far to taste great cuisine.

The Aromatic House of
Kabob is located at 113 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Visit their website at www.gokabob.com to check out the menu, reviews, or read about the assortment of Hookah flavors available. Phone
ahead by dialing (215) 923-4510. Dishes range from $5.95-$16.95.