Should you be having an easy going kind of Saturday evening with nothing on your agenda except doing the laundry and viewing a few World Cup games you may also wish to swing by Pology online. We’ve mentioned it before here at Gadling, but the June issue is so darn good I felt the need to give it a plug once more. I usually head over to get the latest in culture topics around the planet, but today I was only there for the eye candy. Start with Thailand in pictures where you’ll find women in hill tribes playing on laptops and a smiling toothless Thai woman. It may sound odd here, but you’ll need to see it for yourself. I haven’t seen such a beautiful well-rounded batch of photos from the area in a long while. That alone makes it worth the visit.
South America
Travel through South America by country:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Travel through South America by popular city:
Bogota, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
Travel through South America by popular things to do:
Adventures in the Amazon, Falkland Islands, Iguazu Falls, Tierra del Fuego
WikiTravel
Most folks have probably spent some time messing around on Wikipedia. I know I have. In fact, the other night I literally spent four hours just browsing through all the pages and links dedicated to Pink Floyd (and yes, I’m going to read the new book out about them…when I can get the reading time).
But if you are a serious traveler and you have not spent some time playing around on WikiTravel, you’re missing out. The guides here are nicely filled out (for certain areas, that is), by people who know these places well or who have been there. It is like have a Lonely Planet or Rough Guides online and for free.
And sometimes the info is even better than you get from a Rough Guides or Lonely Planet because it’s more nicely fleshed out and there are links to the various sites mentioned. I am adding WikiTravel to my bookmarks, BIG time.
The Da Vinci, um, Dress Code
Here’s a story that many of us who have traveled a fair amount can relate to. The travelers dress code. Now, the one thing about this article that I don’t agree with is the tone that somehow Americans who go abroad are somehow worse dressers than people from other countries. I mean, have you ever seen the Israelis? A few years in the army with all that intense regimentation, and all the kids want to do is let loose and see the world in tattered sandals, ripped t-shirts and greasy dreadlocks.
But Americans, especially young ones, do commit their share of Dress Code Fouls. And the idea behind this article originally from the Chicago Trib is that, given where America’s image lies these days (i.e. somewhere behind Morocco and just ahead of Botswana) we ought to be doing a better job presenting ourselves when over seas. I couldn’t agree more. It aggravates me to no end to see Americans traveling abroad wearing old, crappy clothing and smelling like they’re homeless.
I’m not one to advocate any particular style of dress, but the piece here offers some suggestions. To wit: “Clean khakis or jeans, a nice shirt and Rockports will do for men. So will capris or slacks, a blouse and comfortable shoes for women.” Rockports? OK, nevermind that. But for the sake of our global image, folks, let’s start dressing up, if just a little.
Saving Chile’s Natural Beauty
When I was living in Chile, there were frequently stories in the paper about a “deranged” and “dangerous” American who lived down South of the country. This American, suggested various op-eds in the paper, was determined to buy up the natural bounty of Chile – its forests, rivers, mountains – and to prevent Chileans from enjoying or using them. He was also considered a threat to national security since his land-holdings supposedly bisected this narrow country. Of course, these were the types of opinions caterwauled in conservative papers, and they came mostly from developers who were jealous or angry that the American was actually setting aside his property from them so they could not cut down its trees or build factories there. The American, who still lives down in the South of Chile, is named Douglas Tompkins, and he is as controversial as ever.
It’s interesting, though. I’ve seen enough pieces over the years even in US press, that I didn’t think Mr. Tompkins held much interest in American minds. That he was an OLD story. I guess I was wrong. This piece in the LA Times examines the Tompkins mythos.
Tompkins is a counterculture veteran who left his job running the clothing company Esprit with a reported $150 million in 1990. He bailed on his then-wife and longtime business partner and remade himself in South America as a “patron of preservation”. Regardless of your politics, you do have to admire Tomkins’ spunk and dedication. Apparently he has lots of friends who are eager to help him in his quest, including Harrison Ford and other Hollywood types. I say good for him. The part of Chile he seeks to preserve is one of the loveliest spots on earth, and even if he is seen by some as a demagogue, I think we need the occasional rich demagogue to take on these issues. Or not?
Scrabble-Dabble Doo
When you’re on the road, it’s often cool to bring along a little board game to help pass time time. Chess has long been a favorite of mine. You’d be surprised how many people play chess, and how great of an ice-breaker it can be to make travel buddies. Another good one is Scrabble. Sure, it helps if you’re in an English-speaking country or that most of those you’re traveling with speak English, but it is still one of those games that most people know how to play, and it can be a great way to spend time in a hotel, hostel or aboard a train.
So why not on your next trip pack along one of these nifty little Scrabble cases? It’s very portable, quite nice looking, and my guess is that you will suddenly have lots of new friends once you break it out.