The Post on Hook Up Travel

by Erik Olsen on

The Post wants you to hook up when you’re on the road. Yup, they’ve dedicated an entire section of the paper to singles travel and inside there are all sorts of delights. Take this piece, for example, on how to find the best adventures that will get your both hot and sweaty before you even hit the sheets.

Then this lovely section called Meet Markets all about, you guessed it, the best places to find someone who is also eager to hook up. And you just know you’re going to find the right person when you visit their number one hook up destination: Las Vegas. Ah yes, the kids will be so proud of mom and dad when they learn their parents hooked up while playing blackjack at Caesars. But now that I think about it, it’s a good suggestion because even if you can’t find Mr./Mrs. Right, there’s always a lap dance waiting for you. Seattle and Tuscon made the list…which I found rather odd…and then New York was there in the number 9 position. I’m guessing that being from DC they just didn’t know which bars to go to because…well, Tuscon? Maybe their thinking about the college town thing.

Then, they’ve done their equal opportunity homework and posted a piece for gay travelers as well as those who delight in the idea of a nice testosterone-laden mancation.

Mobile Ashtray Museum

by Adrienne Wilson on

Imagine a world where non-smokers and smokers live harmoniously. How do you picture it? What does it look like? Does the smell of cigarette smoke pollute the air or do you only catch whiffs of apple-pie, roses and other delightful scents floating in the air? I do not yet have a clear vision of what this harmonious world looks like, but Japan Tobacco seems to have one or a piece of one at least.

According to this Japan Times article the world’s third-largest cigarette-maker aims to push portable ashtrays so that smokers can place their butts in a safe place until further disposal and non-smokers can enjoy a landscape unblemished by discarded cigarettes. Are you feeling the harmony yet? The Mobile Ashtray Museum (MAM) is a private collection of manufacturer’s products from the past, but also an emporium selling more than 300 portable ashtrays. Other goods for up for grabs include lighters, cig cases, and all the JT-made cigarettes, of course. I mean, after you go check out all these sort-of cool devices to help keep butts off the ground, I mean you’re going to want to puff on something right? From the sound of this piece the smoking tourist might have somewhat of a blast in the so-called quirky museum, but the truly anti-tobacco minded will choke up and probably burst into flames at Japan Tobacco’s attempt to keep smokers smoking and therefore passing on their second-hand smoke, which is always the biggest issue with smokers anyway.

Right?

How to Bargain Abroad: The Right Way

by Adrienne Wilson on

There aren’t too many situations on the road where I need someone to hold my hand or baby me, but when it comes to bargaining abroad I stink. I hate bargaining. Just tell me what the item is worth, don’t cheat me and I’ll pay up. That’s how I like to do business, but the rest of the world does not operate this way and to avoid getting ridiculously ripped off I usually recruit a local or friend to walk me through the process. While I’ve watched several buyers score some amazing goods at jaw-dropping, super cheap prices I’ve also seen some bargaining foreigners receive ill looks from the seller. Some prices are insultingly too low. So how does one bargain the right way?

This is where I point you to this WorldHum piece titled the Art of the Deal. Readers walk with Peter Wortsman through the stalls of Marrakesh as he masters how to go about naming the right price and playing a good game. It’s a real good read especially if you’re way out yonder looking to collect gifts for your loved ones or maybe you’re just planning on heading to Macy’s this Black Friday, either way you may learn a thing a two from Peter’s Moroccan encounters. As for me – I’ll never be fond of the bazaar bargain biz.

Japanese Fleet Heads Out on Whale Kill

by Erik Olsen on

I don’t like to think of myself as a bleeding heart, but something just doesn’t sit right with me about killing whales. It’s seems like an excruciatingly anachronistic practice that has little reason to continue other than culture. Where countries like Japan are concerned, there does not appear to be a broader necessity to hunt whales. And so it’s a bit of a disappointment to learn that last Wednesday, a fleet of six Japanese whaling ships left the southern port of Shimonoseki to begin their annual Antarctic whale hunt.
The group plans to hunt 850 minke whales and ten fin whales. As reported by the BBC, Japan says the catches are small and the populations of these whale species are relatively plentiful in the Antarctic. Of course, someone will out there protesting (and good for them). Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an activist organization determined to protect the whale species, plans to intervene and prevent the hunt. Again, some outdated cultural practices are probably tolerable, but IMHO whaling is not one of them.

Friday Funny: Kitsch Souvenir Photos

by Erik Olsen on

Sometimes I’m not sure where travelers like Michael Hughes get all their time and money to travel. Like the famous Dancing Matt, who has paraded and boogied around the globe and done a fine job chronicling said adventures via little video dancing bits, Mr. Hughes is apparently traveling the globe in pursuit of fleeting photographic fame by taking kitchy, souvenir objects and placing them in front of the actual objects and then shooting a picture of it….all of which can be seen at his Flickr site here.

But despite my questioning these photos provenance from a lifestyle/financial angle, I have to say the whole enterprise is pretty damn clever. And fun.

(via Boing Boing)