Gadling Take FIVE: Week of October 4 – October 11

by Jamie Rhein on

Browsing through Gadling’s offerings this week are posts about places from the people who have had first hand experience.

Jerry’s trip to Pyongyang brought him an unexpected “history lesson on [his] own [Chinese] cultural heritage.” His posts are an opportunity to ride along and see North Korea through his eyes. You’ll also glean the impressions of his traveling companions.

For another trip into the unknown regions of New York City, Jeremy, who lives there, takes us on a journey through the naval history of Brooklyn. I had no idea there were these abandoned mansions until Jeremy wrote about them.

A drive along the Oregon coast is a trip Meg recommends. She waxes poetic about the view from McKenzie Pass located in the Willamette National Forest. As she says about the pass, “It’s one of the most stunning places in the world.”

Although Kent hasn’t had the chance to explore Haiti because his trips there are only airport stops, his photos point out the latest devastation from recent flooding. As he puts it, the people in Haiti “can’t seem to get a break.”

When it comes to a shopping mall, if you’re a travel writer doing book signings, our guest blogger Rolf Potts knows that it can be one heck of a lonely place to be.

Gading Take FIVE: Week of September 27 – October 3

by Jamie Rhein on

Each week, when I pick out posts for Gadling’s Take FIVE, I look for posts that fit together in some way. These week, I’ve noticed a numbers theme.

  • In David’s post on America’s most scenic train route, he noted that the journey between New York City and Montreal takes 11 hours and there are 90 seats left for the period between October 2 and November 11.
  • Abha found out that only 8 people in the Cameroon speak Busuu and that the human voice only travels 200 meters. You can read about this and more in her post on a website that helps you learn new languages.
  • When a man smuggles 200 canaries in 4 cages in 1 suitcase, there is trouble in international travel. Josh pointed out what that might be. Dead birds, 60 of them, for one thing.
  • Anna gave a heads up about 10 travel websites to tune into. Add Gadling, and that’s 11.
  • Jerry is also in the numbers game. He spent 16 hours in China’s Wild West and is writing about it in a feature series.
  • In Mexico there are 5000 condoms, 1 inflatable banana and 1 missing truck. Scott posted about why it would be a good thing if all were found.
  • And I’ve started watching the Amazing Race and posting recaps on that. This is season 13.

If you’re counting, you’ll notice 7 this week instead of 5.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of September 20-26

by Jamie Rhein on

In the ever changing scene of world travel, this week Gadling pointed to some of the highlights of change.

  • If you want to see Angkor Wat before it goes totally upscale, you’d better hurry. It might be too late. Josh wrote about how high end development is going on all around the complex.
  • In the world of gadgets that make travel easier, Scott posted about the new T-Mobile G1 which should make several aspects of staying in touch while on the road easier and cheaper.
  • In Jerry’s Talking Travel conversation with Snake Charmer author Jamie James, part of the talk was about how James’s interest in China changed after he wrote about Shanghai in 2001. As he points out, one’s interest in a particular can changed based on exposure. For James, China has lost his attention.
  • Jeremy’s latest addition to his New York series is a lush piece on the changes in Staten Island’s landscape over the years–more specifically, the section of Staten Island where old boats and ships are put to rest.
  • When it comes to politics, Grant has his attention on the changing of the communist guard due to the absence of Kim Jong Il and Fidel Castro. He imagines them sitting on a beach somewhere chatting it up while drinking out of coconuts. Grant is a little weird that way.

What I hope isn’t changing is people’s ability to have a grand experience, even if it’s one they find in their own neighborhoods.

Gadling Take FIVE August 24-29

by Jamie Rhein on

First off, Happy Labor Day weekend if you happen to be in the United States. For anyone else, happy weekend and don’t work too hard. If you’ve read Gadling this week, perhaps you noticed posts on changes occurring , new additions to the travel field and what this means for travelers.

1. Josh, for example, talked about the upcoming opening of the Holiday Inn in Hanoi and what this signifies for the city. My first trip to Hanoi was in 1994 and I’ve been back four more times. As he noted,and what I’ve also noticed with each visit, the increased affluence has brought considerable change. Josh muses about the outcome.

2. If you’re one of those people who have noticed how air travel just isn’t what it used to be (how could you not notice) Scott’s read “The top eight things I miss most about the current state of air travel” may seem familiar. Oh, how I long for the good old days, and I’ve never been on the Concorde.

3. Abha pointed us in the direction of a new travel guide resource called Trazzler.com that tailors recommendations to your location and the type of travel you are interested in such as culinary arts.

4. In case you’re looking for the latest food snob trend, Jeffery found the answer at Forbes.com and added his two cents into the discussion. For all you backpackers who settle for cheese and bread while hopping on and off trains in Europe, you can go more upscale than those little triangles of cheese that doesn’t need much refrigeration. Jeffery, is not a cheese wiz, but you might be able to convince him with a bottle of wine. (In case you missed it, I made a play on words. Cheese wiz = Cheez Whiz)

5. Here’s a trend in weight saving that I, for one, don’t hope other airlines start using. Grant wrote about how Jazz Airlines, a subsidiary of Air Canada is doing away with life vests. If the plane lands in water, passengers need to hold onto their seat cushions as flotation devices.

Gadling Take FIVE – August 16- August 23

by Jamie Rhein on

If you kept up with Gadling this week, you’ve probably gathered some tips to help you plan your next trip whether you’re looking for the practical or the extravagant. For example,

  1. Aaron says that almonds make perfect travel snacks, something he knew about even before he read about it at the Happiness Project website that recently offered up vacation tips.
  2. Jerry found out from Mark Jolly, editor of globorati, that train travel is one way to go to travel green, and that train travel is having a comeback. There are other travel tidbits besides. If you missed this post, check it out.
  3. Scott pointed us towards a High Sierra luggage deal at Amazon.com
  4. Meg told us how to have the ultimate diamond and jewelry shopping experience in Manhattan
  5. And Anna pointed us towards environmentally friendly cities for a vacation. It may surprise you that Bangkok is on the list. It has a well-deserved spot.

Have a great weekend and enjoy watching the rest of the Olympics. I’m loving learning more about China from all of the side stories.