Traveling Sans Alcohol … Help!

by Justin Glow on

Nothing speeds up the recovery process of an eight hour, 3rd class train journey through the Rajasthani countryside than making it to your destination in one piece and enjoying an ice cold Kingfisher over a plate of peanuts and potato chips. Being able to enjoy a cold brew any time of the day, in fact, is one of the luxuries of being on the road and away from the daily grind of work. Even so, the lure of alcohol while traveling is sometimes overwhelming, smashing daily budgets, or lowering your safety awareness level, which can put you in some tough situations if you’re not careful.

In the most recent Yahoo! Traveling Light column, a former alcoholic asks travel writer Rolf Potts for advice on dealing with social situations with the intent of not offending anyone while traveling where alcohol is common place. “I wouldn’t travel with the aim of insulting people, but I’m not out to go on an intercontinental bender. Any tips?”

Picking the wrong destination, explains Rolf, could be the first mistake. “There are some parts of the world, however – and I’m thinking of East Asia and Eastern Europe in particular – where drinking is such an ingrained part of the culture that it might be difficult to continually turn down alcohol.”

So what to do if you find yourself in a situation where turning down a drink that’s been offered to you could be a major insult? Simply “tell them you’re allergic to alcohol.” This should mask the focus of choosing not to drink, and instead make it a requirement to stay sober. If it makes you sick, there should be no argument.

To read Rolf’s response in full, head over to Yahoo! Traveling Light.

Col. Sanders Invades Hanoi

by Neil Woodburn on

Things have come a long way in Vietnam since the war.

Sure, the country is still communist, but the recent arrival of Col. Sanders has many people wondering which direction Vietnam is heading.

The presence of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s creater–a man who fashioned himself as a plantation owner from the South–is certainly ironic for a country which prides itself as anti-capitalist and anti-worker exploitation.

And yet, there he is.

The colonel made his Vietnam appearance in 1998 with the first of what would eventually be 20 Kentucky Fried Chickens in Ho Chi Minh City. The big news today, however, is the opening of the first KFC in Hanoi–the current capital of Vietnam as well as the former seat of the North Vietnamese communist government during the war.

I wonder how many POWs being tortured in the Hanoi Hilton ever thought they could look across the street one day and spot the colonel’s smiling mug beaming down at them. Sure, it’s a small victory for American capitalism, but a potentially horrific loss for the Vietnamese who will quickly learn about the slippery slope of fast food chains. One day you’re eating pho and the next you’ve said yes to too many supersize meals and you’re suddenly overweight with Type 2 Diabetes.

Brew a Hot Cup of … Meth?

by Justin Glow on

Next time you make coffee in a hotel room, take note of any strange superpower feelings that may wash over you. Do you feel hyper-attentive? Do you have feelings of euphoria? Are your eyes glazed over?

Why am I asking this? According to WAFF TV, hotel coffee pots are the perfect tool to cook up methamphetamine, and trace amounts left in the carafe can be hazardous if imbibed. Just ask these guys.

This seems like one of those EVERYONE PANIC! situations, but apparently this isn’t just an isolated case blown out of proportion. “… since meth labs in hotels aren’t anything new, Rick Phillips of the Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit says there’s definitely a risk.”

Just to be safe, if you notice a chemical smell in the room, or a “dark, reddish-orange stain” on the carafe, you might want to stop by Starbucks instead. Unless, of course, you’re looking for that “extra kick” in your morning cup of joe.

The bananas at night, are big and bright

by Justin Glow on

If I told you I was planning a trip to Texas to see the gigantic, geostationary banana floating in the sky, you’d probably have me committed. “But wait,” I’d yell while being dragged off, “there really is a gigantic geostationary banana floating in the skies over Texas!”

Okay, so there really isn’t a large piece of fruit in the sky, but hold off on calling the asylum — there is a team of artists and engineers working on building a large banana out of bamboo and then launching it into orbit. Seriously.

Or is it serious? I can’t tell. I mean, they have a website, GeostationaryBananaOverTexas.com, but that hardly legitimizes the project. I just don’t know what to think. I’m scared.

On one hand, it would be quite a site to see, and I’d imagine I’m not the only one who’d journey to Texas just to witness the large banana flying through the air. On the other hand, it’s a banana. In the sky. Over Texas.

There’s no way this could be real.

January 23rd: National Pie Day

by Justin Glow on

I don’t know how this one slipped under the radar, but I caught it just in time: today, January 23rd, is National Pie Day in America!

With all the recent talk of American tourism on Gadling lately, I figured not mentioning this would be doing all the foreigners who are currently traveling around the United States an injustice by not mentioning what is surely the most American of all American holidays. 4th of July, move over!

Whether you’re a tourist or resident, the American Pie Council has rounded up a few ways you can perform some “random acts of pieness” on this wonderful day. Here are a couple of my favorites:

  • Pay it forward. Hand out pie slices to strangers and encourage them to do the same for others. It could spread the peace on earth and goodwill to mankind that we all hope for.*
  • Be a good Samaritan. Buy an extra pie at your local grocery store and give it to the person behind you in line. You may just change their life!*
  • Eat pie. Whether you make it yourself, buy it at a supermarket or bakery or order it at a restaurant, perform a random act of pieness on yourself and enjoy some pie on National Pie Day – it’s great with lunch, dinner or as a late-night snack.

Related: Can Pie Be Considered a Dangerous Liquid?

*We at Gadling are not responsible for any physical harm that may result in offering a pie of any flavor to random strangers.