Gadling

Filed under: Activism, United States, Airlines, Video, Airports, Consumer Activism Back in March, Gadling blogged about a firearm training system, Lamperd, which had patented a bracelet that worked like a stun gun when activated. At the time, Lamperd was lobbying the Transportation Security Administration to make it mandatory for all airline passengers to wear one, with the thinking that it was the best way to thwart a terrorist. Well, here's an update. The Department of Homeland Security, ever the shepherds watching over their flocks, appears to be seriously weighing making this bracelet mandatory and has sent a letter to Lamperd encouraging the company to draft a formal proposal for integrating its bracelet into flight security. That's right. Your tax dollars are funding the R Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Talking Travel Gene Kilgore is a recognized expert on dude ranches, having traveled to countless ones since 1980 (and accrued so many frequent flier miles that he was profiled by The New York Times last year). He also worked on a ranch in his younger days, and recently authored a travel guidebook, Ranch Vacations Tell us a little about your background. I grew up watching Bonanza and Gun Smoke on TV, often while wearing my boots and favorite cowboy hat. When I was 8 years old, my family went to a dude ranch in Wyoming, and I was hooked on the cowboy lifestyle. My father was a big fan of rodeos, and I would sometimes tag along. I was infatuated with the world of cowboys, and couldn't get enough. Is it fair to say you're a true cowboy? A real cowboy - no. But, I can say I worked on one of the largest cattle ranches in Wyoming- riding, roping, branding, doctoring and doing all the ranch chores - it was one of the best years of my life. Since 1980, I think I have traveled to more ranches than anyone on the world. I know the life of the cowboy and love the spirit and traditions of ranching around the world. Why dude ranches? I have found that dude ranches give us a "back to nature, back to goodness " experience. My hope is to get more and more children out of the cities to experience this way of life and know first hand what nature, the environment and ranch life is all about. I still think everyone - man, woman, little boy or girl have a little "cowboy" in them. When's the best time to go? There is no best time to go, since dude ranch vacations are possible year round. Ranches are open every day of the year , depending where in the world you wish to go. There are ranches in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Packing tips for a cowboy vacation? I always tell future cowpoke to make sure they take "broken in" boots and jeans. Also, it's important that jeans are longer than normal for riding purposes. I like to wash and soften my jeans 4-5 times before I saddle up. All the ranches on Ranchweb will provide guests with a suggested packing list ahead of time. What's your idea of a "luxury" dude ranch? Seems like a bit of a contradiction to me. Travelers today expect more than they did 30 years ago. Pampering now goes hand in hand with roughing it. Today, you might be at a rustic ranch experiencing authentic cowboy life, but also have the chance to get a post-cattle drive massage in the ranch spa. Now there are many luxury ranches with amenities and facilities that guests would expect to find at a luxury hotel. However, in this case, the posh properties are located in wide open spaces with the chance to participate in real outdoor "dude" experiences. What's it like to experience a cattle drive first-hand? How to go about arranging that? Cattle drives at dude ranches vary widely. Some last a few hours while others might last several days. I love the thrill of herding livestock from one destination to another - the wide open spaces, fresh fragrant air, riding horseback, and the spirit of camaraderie. It is certainly and experience that stays with you for a lifetime. To arrange such an experience, visit Ranchweb, and under the "Ranch Categories" section, select "Cattle Drives". This will lead you to a list of ranches offering cattle drives. From there, you can narrow it down by location and what type of cattle drive experience you are interested in. What are your top five steakhouses around the country? Besides a really good piece of beef - I regularly eat, when I can find it , buffalo. When grilled well, it is really delicious and very lean and healthy. My favorite steakhouses: Buenos Aires - La Brigada New York - 21 Club San Francisco - Harris' Chicago - Gene o...The Brazilians are famous for their Churascaria's and this is one of them. Are dude ranches good real-estate investments? Over time, dude ranches can certainly become good investments but it is the land itself that is the best investment. I have found that land is always a good investment, and the value is dependent on location and cost. What about dude ranches as second-home? Personally, if I wasn't on the road so much, I would love to have a dude ranch as my second home. In the old days, many families often spent their entire summers at dude ranches. Nowadays, beach houses are far more typical for vacation homes, but ranches would certainly be a terrific alternative. What are ranches like in other countries? You've been to many in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina right? I've had the pleasure of visiting ranches all around the world. Ranch life in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina is truly special and unique. My wife is Brazilian and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. We have met so many great people and been introduced to wonderful customs, food, horses, fishing - the goodness of the land and people in the world of ranching is incomparable. What are modern day cowboys like? What do they do? Do they even ride horses anymore? Modern day cowboys drink cappuccinos and drive gas-guzzling pick-ups, but still saddle up and ride whenever they have the chance. While wrangler jeans and traditional boots are still par for the course, you might also find a Blackberry on their hip. Today's cowboys combine the old and the new - traditions of yesteryear and the marvels of modern day technology. There are cowboys still in Nevada and South America that still embrace old customs and shun away from modern day advances. For these traditional cowboys, riding horses is still very much a part of their daily life. Your favorite drink? Sarsaparilla, Brazilian Caperinas, or an ice cold Coors on a really hot day. Tell us a bit more about your book. My guide has become a best seller in the world of travel - 7 editions and 250,000 copies sold. I began my research in 1980 and have seen some of the most remote and beautiful properties - several only accessible by helicopter, horse or train. The book has lots of photos and celebrates a way of life that helps to balance the world in which we live. I have always believed, and lived, one of my quotes: "Travel is the only thing that unites the world". It is a thrill for me to be involved in travel and ranching . I am so very lucky to have the chance to live the mantra "do what you love, love what you do and the rest will take care of itself." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Business, Blogs, Airports, News When Catherine first posted about TSA's body scan device, I thought that the term "Big Brother is watching " had reached a new level of meaning. The machine is one that a passenger steps though so that millimeter waves can be bounced off his or her body, thus capturing a fairly perfect image of the person's exact shape sans clothes. This isn't the naked-as-a-jay bird, in your birthday suit image, but this grainy, fuzzy image that you see here. Still and all, do you see what I see? I think the person has an "inny" navel. Or is it an "outy?" The machines must be doing some good where they are being used already, one would hope, since TSA is springing for more of them. Engadget picked up on the story that machines are being installed in Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Las Vegas towards the end of June. The machine was used for the first time at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, and JFK in New York have had Superman eyes capabilities for a few months now. If you have a plastic or ceramic gun and think you're going to take it on an airplane, think again. TSA is on to you. Personally, I'm going for a pat down if given a choice. There's something about this machine creeps me out a bit. However, in this USA Today article, one official said that the body imaging capabilities are just being tapped. Hmmm. Here's an idea. Come up with a machine that also does health screening. While it's searching out weapons it can search out cancer. People who pass through the machines would then get a free health report printout. Just think, eventually you might be able to take a flight a year and do without that colonoscopy, mammogram or prostate exam. It's just a thought. More crazy airline news: Look out! Your airline is cutting capacity Airline to charge customers by pound No overweight crew allowed on this airline Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Asia, United Arab, Airlines, Internet Tools, News Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Airways recently offloaded many people from their flights because they had booked their tickets online with a credit card that wasn't theirs, but a friend's or a relative's. These people had to purchase another ticket if they still wanted to fly. I know that a few other Middle Eastern airlines, all Indian airlines, and Cathay Pacific, have the same policy to the extent that the person who's credit card has been used to book the flight, needs to accompany you to check-in. When my parents came to visit me in Madrid from France, I booked them flights on my credit card; similarly when my brother and I traveled around Spain, all flight/train/hostel bookings were made under my name. If all airlines, or any travel-service related company for that matter, begin using this policy, they may lose lots of business from online purchasers so I wonder if it will ever become standard online booking policy. It's all to prevent credit card fraud, but seriously inconvenient, no? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Europe, Croatia, Czech Republic We've all heard of movie theaters banning food not bought on premises, and certainly it's a no-brainer that you just can't buy take-away food somewhere and go sit in a restaurant and eat it. But this is the first time I've heard of a country banning food not purchased in its own borders. Croatia has taken the unusual step, in Europe at least, of forbidding tourists from bringing their own food when they come to holiday on the coast this summer. The ban seems focused on meat and dairy products, and is response primarily to Czech tourists who, in droves every summer, pack up their family cars with yogurt, margarine, fried meat, beer, you name it and head down to places like Hvar and Dubrovnik. They hardly spend a dime on food during a week or two of holidays. Naturally, Czechs are up in arms about this. "800,000 Czech citizens visit Croatia every year. Two-thirds of them - around 500,000 Czechs - spend their vacation in Croatia in apartments with kitchens where they cook. So this new rule very drastically affects most Czech citizens this year. Croatia is the number one destination for Czech people, and about 25 percent of all Czech vacations are spent in Croatia," Tomio Okamura, spokesman of the Czech Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents, tells Radio Prague. Why wouldn't Czechs just suck it up and maybe go out for a meal or two, or, if they want to cook, buy the food locally? Okamura has his theories: "It's not only a problem of price, it's also a problem of taste. Because Czechs like the taste of Czech sausages, Czech yogurt and so on - a lot of them prefer their lovely taste. And of course they want also to save money." Maybe Gadling's resident Czech, Iva, should chime in on this: Will her countrymen cancel their Croatian holiday plans because of this, or will they, in the words of Radio Prague's great headline, play hide the salami? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Photos Perhaps you've been one of the people jockeying for position to snap a photo of a memorial that other people are also trying to capture. Getting a photo that looks different than what the person standing next to you has taken can be a challenge. Plus, memorials are inanimate objects that might not look all that interesting in those vacation photos after all. I came across these photo tips for taking photos of memorials from Rambling Traveler . Each are simple to follow and effective. The focus of her shots are memorials in Washington, D.C., but would work anywhere you happen to be. One of the tips I particularly like is to take photos with people in them. Notice that these are natural shots. There are none of those types where family and friends are looking at the camera. If you want shots of people reading quotes, don't think it's cheating to move someone reading a quote to get a better angle and tell them to stay still while you're focusing. You're creating a composition. Sometimes this is necessary to make sure a person isn't hidden in a shadow, or that the quote is visible. Take more than one shot to make sure you get one that you like. This photo by David Paul Ohmer on Flickr of the Vietnam War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery the National Mall has the added detail of the wreath and the small flag. The white hat and the raised arm with the pen pointing at a name also add visual interest. If you look at the larger version, you'll see reflections of other people. Well done! Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Europe, Czech Republic God help us! Prague has unveiled its latest desperate attempt to find a new identity and market it to tourists. I hope you are ready. The punchline, in essence, is: Come here because we have beautiful women. (And architecture, but really, who cares. Too many syllables in that word.) As you can see from this video ad, the Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova and last year's Miss World, Tatana Kucharova, with a kitschy backdrop of the Prague Castle, are trying to tell you that you should come to Prague because--quite frankly--everyone here looks like this and lives like this. Before you buy your ticket, let me warn you: Not all Czech women look like this In fact, most Czech women do not look like this Those who do look like this are--don't take this the wrong way--not waiting around to meet you. Unless of course, you are rich and famous Did I mention not all Czech women look like this? Although prices are certainly becoming top-notch, the service in a lot of "luxury places" in Prague still isn't Then again: the Champagne they are drinking will always be there. Mercifully, the girls in the ad are not drinking beer and eating roast pork because that would make it just unbearable cheesy in a traditional culture kind of way. I feel bad for this beautiful city sometimes. Right after the Revolution, Prague city officials were happy to get anyone to come here and spend precious hard currency. Then, they got tired of the "broke backpacker crowd" so they started marketing to the "cultured tourist": Prague has great live music, amazing architecture...you get the idea. That didn't really work, either. Although Prague has great, talented musicians, you are still better off going to see opera in Vienna (granted, not as cheaply). So, they went back to the party crowd, marketing to semi-wealthy Western European folks to come here for the weekend and party it up. That is, in a nutshell, how we ended up with a bunch of stag-party types from the UK throwing up all over Prague's mediaeval cobblestones. With the new spot, apparently, we want to attract the "luxury travel people", who like to engage in expensive Champagne-drinking with a view of Gothic spires while exhibiting their latest supermodel girlfriend. I wonder what kind of undesirable Eurotrash crowd this will attract. Do I smell Gucci opening a store? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Stories, United States, Books, Budget Travel, Nightlife, Travel Deals The 10th most popular book in the United States is Catcher in the Rye. Way to go Holden! Although Holden roamed the streets of New York City at Christmas time in the early 1950s, you can take in what he did even in warmer weather. Holden Caufield's version of NYC is certainly cheaper than the Sex in the City tour that Iva wrote about. That one costs $24,000. Here's my suggestion for a Holden Caufield inspired itinerary with costs included. I'm providing the adult rates. The itinerary is based on the places Holden went. Each are mentioned in the novel. I've thrown in the cost of a day MetroCard along with the subway and bus stops to make your gadabout easier. If you start early in the morning and don't dawdle, you should be able to hit all stops--although this is if you only see highlights at the two museums. Each of them could take several hours. Take a copy of the novel with you so you can see what Holden saw and compare notes. There will be an essay afterwards.Start here-- Grand Central Station --free. Subways: # 4, 5, 6, 7, and S. From here walk to Rockefeller Center by heading to 5th Avenue and turning right. It's a piece of cake. Rockefeller Center --free, unless you go ice-skating. Ice-skating goes on through April 13th. For adults, $10--weekdays or $14--weekends. Skate rental, $8. Subways: F-D-B-Q. There are others that will get you close, but you'll have to walk a little. Nearby is Radio City Music Hall where Holden saw the Rockettes. You'll have to wait until their Christmas Spectacular Show to see them. Presale tickets are available. To take the #1, which will get you to the American Museum of Natural History, the next tour stop, walk a few blocks to 50th and Broadway. American Museum of Natural History --It can be free, however, there is a suggested admission of $15 for adults. You have to go through the line to pay what you want in order to get a ticket. Subway directions: Take B (weekdays only) or C to 81 Street or #1 to Broadway and West 79th Street. Central Park Carousel -$2.00. The carousel and the Central Park Zoo trip fits between the two museum visits. The carousel reopens after the winter months in April. Although, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is directly across the park from the American Museum of Natural History, I'd go to the carousel and zoo for a change of pace and to enjoy some spring flowers. Here's a link to a teeny tiny map so you can see what I'm talking about. You can take a bus M7 to Central Park South and enter the park at 6th Avenue. Grab a soft pretzel with a dollop of mustard. If you're lucky you can find a knish. Oh, I love those things. Central Park Zoo - $8.00 (for adults) To get to the zoo from the carousel, keep walking across the park towards Fifth Avenue. You'll pass by the Dairy Barn along the way. Metropolitan Museum of Art--free, except there is a suggested donation of $20 for adults. You can walk here from the zoo, if you like to walk several blocks, or walk to Madison Ave. and take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 up to 83rd Street. On Fridays and Saturdays, the museum is open until 9 PM so you'll have time to not hurry so much--plus there's music. Here's an article that can work as a cheat sheet to show you what Holden saw at these places. You won't be able to take in the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. For that, come back during the winter holidays. Admission costs if you pay the full amount at the museums---55 + MetroCard for unlimited day use--$7 = Total $ $62. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: North America, United States I was flipping around the channels earlier this evening and ran across an episode of Rare Visions Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: North America, Airlines, Transportation, Airports, The Cockpit Chronicles There's a bit of strategy involved with being a pilot on reserve. At least that's the case at our company. On any given day there may be 4 our 5 reserve pilots qualified at the base to fly a particular airplane and division (domestic or international, for example.) If another pilot calls in sick or if there's an unassigned trip the next day, crew scheduling will assign a trip to the most junior pilot first, unless that pilot has more flight time for the month than the other pilots on reserve. If everyone is equal, a senior pilot may either choose to fly a trip or pass it along to the next pilot. Why would someone choose to go to work when they don't have to? They might want to take a two day trip tomorrow instead of a four-day trip the day after. Or they may prefer the destination or even the pilot they'd be flying with. I usually try to hold out for an interesting destination if I can. However, due to a lack of pilots on the reserve list, more often than not you won't have any choice when crew scheduling calls. We may be short of pilots, but at least my airline hasn't resorted to using this kind of tactic to fill a trip. Camille or Myra will usually call the night before to let you know that you'll be flying a trip the next day. That was the case last weekend when they ran out of reserve pilots domestically and needed someone to fly a two-day trip to Los Angeles. There's a bit of strategy involved with being a pilot on reserve. At least that's the case at our company. On any given day there may be 4 our 5 reserve pilots qualified at the base to fly a particular airplane and division (domestic or international, for example.) If another pilot calls in sick or if there's an unassigned trip the next day, crew scheduling will assign a trip to the most junior pilot first, unless that pilot has more flight time for the month than the other pilots on reserve. If everyone is equal, a senior pilot may either choose to fly a trip or pass it along to the next pilot. Why would someone choose to go to work when they don't have to? They might want to take a two day trip tomorrow instead of a four-day trip the day after. Or they may prefer the destination or even the pilot they'd be flying with. I usually try to hold out for an interesting destination if I can. However, due to a lack of pilots on the reserve list, more often than not you won't have any choice when crew scheduling calls. We may be short of pilots, but at least my airline hasn't resorted to using this kind of tactic to fill a trip. Camille or Myra will usually call the night before to let you know that you'll be flying a trip the next day. That was the case last weekend when they ran out of reserve pilots domestically and needed someone to fly a two-day trip to Los Angeles. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Arts and Culture, India, News Fortunately or unfortunately, Bollywood is key in defining Indian culture. When I meet new people (who are not Indian, obviously), they always ask me if I watch Bollywood films and if I can dance like the actors can. Of course I can -- I am Indian. Duh! I have even, on popular demand but to my own horror, given Bollywood dance classes in my home. I have to admit though, that I started appreciating the Indian film industry more when I moved out of India and have been especially drawn to it since I moved to Spain. Its tremendous ability to bring me back home is the main reason as it inadvertently takes me back to my roots and reminds me of who I am. Yup, the power of Bollywood films. Although the local public generally loves Bollywood in India, we (especially the "westernized" youth of India) often tend to ridicule it and it is not uncommon to be embarrassed by what it portrays about us and our country. Only a handful of Bollywood films are worth applause; others are mostly melodramatic and unrealistic to the point of being ludicrous. So when I heard that a Bollywood film school is planned for the UK (later in Durban and Sydney) in an attempt to build strong ties between Britain and India, first it made no sense to me but after a bit of thought I realized that it's a great way to get foreigners and Indians born abroad involved in a genre of film-making that opens doors deep into our culture. The Mumbai-based Bollywood film industry is the largest in the world and all of a sudden I have newfound respect for it as it will play a key role in internationally sharing our culture as well as giving people an opportunity to delve right in and be part of the Bollywood bang. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Festivals and Events, Stories With Leap Year we get an extra day for Black History Month. Even so, February is not enough to highlight all the places one might go to find out about African-American contributions. With just a few hours left, here are several tours designed to provide a scope of African-American history and culture. You don't need to wait until next February--these are any time of year offerings. In Washington, D.C., the company, Sightseeing Tours--The African American Tour specialists has three walking tour options: Walking in the Footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. Tour; Duke Ellington's Jazz Tour; and the Historical Educational Tour of U Street. U Street was the heart of the African American community from 1920-1950. The photo is of the Duke Ellington Mural on U Street. The company also has bus tours. The African American Heritage and Culture tour covers 200 years of history.The African-American Heritage Tour in Durham, North Carolina includes North Carolina Central University, the first public liberal arts school for African-Americans and Stagville, a former plantation that is now a center for study about African-American life during slavery. For a do-it-yourself itinerary of African-American sites in Mississippi, here are some suggestions. One place to stop is the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center in Jackson. Here's a place to learn about the "work, lifestyle and contributions of African Americans. One of them is Richard Wright who wrote the book Native Son. The Quest for Freedom, Living History Tour in Columbia, Pennsylvania covers includes stops on the Underground Railroad. In Savannah, Georgia, the African Influence Tour includes slavery, Gullah culture, Underground Railroad landmarks and the oldest African-American Baptist church in the United States. The African-American Heritage tour in Detroit, Michigan has a menu of three tour options that encompass the scope of historical sites and landmarks. The Black Heritage Trail tours in Boston, Massachusetts are offered by the Museum of African American History and cover the 19th century African-American community in this city. What I've listed here are not all of the African-American Heritage tours by a long shot, but they are a place to start. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Talking Travel On a recent sunny winter day, I stopped in a caf in Boucicaut, in the heart of Paris's 15th arrondissiment for a drink with Eleanor Beardsley. As NPR's Paris based correspondent, much of our European news comes from via Mrs. Beardsley. Though you may not recognize her name, her voice permeates the airwaves of Morning Edition, Marketplace and The World, reporting on issues from the perennial transportation strikes to the recent marriage of Nicolas Sark zy. Her work has taken her across Europe, from UN work in Kosovo to coverage of the recent terrorist bombings in London to World War I battlegrounds in the French countryside. Through her work she's become a seasoned traveler and expatriate living in Parisian Society. To listen to our conversation, click the play button below: Or you can read a transcript after the jump. Grant: So after living here for as many years as you've been, does Charles De Gaulle [airport] ever get less obnoxious? Eleanor Beardsley: I almost always end up taking a taxi, and if its not at peak time its okay -- for like 40 Euros. But if I'm alone, what I usually find is the best way is the Roissy Bus. This bus circles around the terminal and basically you come out where you have your bags -- it will pick you up and it lets you off at several points in Paris. I haven't taken the RER in a long time; the RER will be quicker because it's the train, but I think getting to it with your bags can sometimes be a hassle. I just get my bags, come out front, it does a whole tour of the airport, it'll pick you up and it'll take you to Op ra, or Charles De Gaulle [Etoille], the Arc de Triomphe -- anywhere you really need to go, and then from there either I take the subway or I just catch a cab, it's 8 Euros. G: Do you find that you're on assignment much for NPR then? EB: Yeah, I mean I travel around France quite a bit -- I mean since I had the baby less -- but actually I just went to Kosovo for NPR, I've been there a few times. I went to London when there were the bombings; I've been to the Netherlands. There have been a lot of stories within France -- I've gone to a lot of different places, Arles in the South, Normandy, Burgundy and all kinds of different places. Basically I can propose a story anywhere in France and I'll go. They have other reporters around Europe, so I wouldn't do a story in Italy, for example - and then they have somebody in Germany. So usually I propose around France, but then I have gone to Kosovo because I used to live there so I know it a bit. G: So they're pretty liberal with the stories you propose? EB: Oh yeah, I think Americans might love or hate France, but they never get sick of it. I have way too much work - I can't even do all the stories there are. They really like me to get out of Paris. I should get out of Paris more than I do actually, but there's always a lot going on in Paris too. [a brief conversation about hot chocolate ensues as the waiter stops by] G: Do you have a favorite spot in France so far? EB: I keep discovering great places because every region is just great for different reasons. I mean, France is just a treasure trove of little restaurants, little villages, cafes -- it just never ends. Lately I really love Normandy, I love Honfleur, its a little teeny village -- port town -- it's absolutely stunning, and then I love Trouville up on the coast, and then just driving along through all of these beautiful Norman towns, and of course you have all of the D-Day stuff up there and Bayeux is a beautiful town and its a ten minute drive from the D-Day beaches where there is still the landing gear on the beaches. It's Arromanches in particular with all the landing gear and the fake harbor that they put up. I think that's just incredible - to have oysters, to sit and look at the beaches..... On the World War I stuff, up in Battle of the Somme, where they're still finding munitions from the first world war, and it was incredible - all the huge battlefields are up there. The trenches are still there, that was the Western front and some places the farmers have plowed over them but in a lot of places they're left and they're just these scars deep in the grass that has grown over them. G: What about in the world - any special places? EB: I want to go back to Croatia, and I want to go to Malta. I did a story in Corsica once; I love Corsica, it's a fabulous place. And of course there's the whole world out there. G: You're not planning on moving back to the States then? EB: The thing is, I got the gig for NPR from here and I'm not on staff in Washington. I could apply for a job, but I'm kind of enjoying the freedom here. My husband has two sons who are thirteen and fifteen and they're in school, so it's probably not good for me to move right now. But I really love Europe, and you're close, you can do a lot here, so for the time being I'm very happy staying. G: We get a lot of our French media from you, and from reading the Times and Post-- there are a couple other roaming writers in the area - David Sedaris comes to mind, I guess -- I often wondered if you and he sit around at night drinking port and engineering the American perspective on French society. EB: I would love to meet David Sedaris because I teach this little journalism class - just English for these French journalism students - and I'll often xerox a chapter of his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day" -- just a short funny one I love that's called "Make it a Double" where he talks about the difficulty of learning the French language, and it's so funny. He's got to be a great great person, but no I've never met him. G: So you're freelancing or a foreign correspondent for NPR? EB: They go to me for everything, there are other people that do spots - it doesn't mean that you own France or anything - but I know everyone in the shows and I work regularly. This weekend I had two pieces and they called me when [Sarkozy] got married and they said we need a piece. G: Oh yeah, that was yesterday. How do you construct something like that? EB: Actually it's quite interesting. You have to be ready for it -- like I was ready for this story for a long time so had gone on the web and had gotten [Carla Bruni's] song - she had a hit album in France in 2003 with a really famous song. So I had that ready. He had this press conference a couple of weeks ago where he said "Carla and I, we don't want to hide, we don't want to lie". I already did a story on that but of course I had that sound bite. And you've got -- let's say, yesterday, the mayor of a district of Paris that wed them gave an interview on the radio, so I got that. And then you just put in some TV sound of him talking about it. Then I went out on the street and talked to somebody, so you've got the streets of Paris sound with the scooter coming by, then the woman out there saying "Oh, if it's true love", you know. So you kind of construct it like that, with a series of things from TV and, radio, with the song, with the woman on the street. It was a quick thing. G: So did you just engineer it at home? EB: My office is actually in my apartment. You have to write the script and say how its going to be -- fade up sound of this, fade under that, you know, you have to do everything. Then you just send the sound files and they actually mix it together in Washington, but I send them all the elements and the script which is like the directions. Actually radio is very labor intensive. G: You did a lot of coverage for the election. Any fond memories of that coverage? EB: Well, I would just go to these rallies and [Sarkozy] was just incredible. I mean, I would go to Segolene Royal's rallies and I was like "Oh my God, this woman is a disaster!". I just was so struck by how incredibly good he was. He could just work up a crowd -- he could just talk about any subject -- he was inspirational. I mean, I was like, ready to vote for him. I don't vote in France, but he was so good. It was no comparison. It was just no comparison. So there was a lot of excitement when he won and I can understand that, but it's true since then.... G: There have been struggles, right? EB: It's like when every leader comes in - Bill Clinton came in and look what happened, that took a long time. Yeah he came in the economy's not good and then people said "Wait, what is this private life stuff?". Although they're very interested, they're like, "What's he doing, what about the state of France?" G: And all that reform he was supposed to make? EB: He actually did pass a lot of reforms and he's only been in eight months, so there will be some things going on. It's just the economy in the world stinks, so that's not his fault. I think him getting married sort of is going to settle this a little bit, calm him down a little bit, calm the whole rumor mill, and he'll be able to get on with thing. G: You probably would have voted for Sarkozy then? EB: You just can't help it, when you go out and you listen to Siglund Royale and she just had the most waffling ideas, I was like "Oh my God, this is going to be the most disorganized country if she gets in". As a foreigner you see the things in France that are great compared to your country, and then you see the things that are unbelievably... not great. Actually I think perfect country is something between France and the US. They have so many great things here but it's true that there are too many people taking advantage of the system and I just think that with her that would have gotten worse and he was dead on. He didn't really have any competition because she wasn't ready, she just wasn't together. He's been practicing for that for they say thirty years -- and you can tell. There's not one topic he couldn't just immediately.... G: So you've adapted pretty well to the Parisians pretty well, even coming from Kosovo. I know that Serbia isn't necessarily in the stone age, but it's probably a very different environment. EB: That was totally different. [Puts her hot chocolate down, pauses] There, I was working with the United Nations. It was this incredible environment of people from all over the world working for this common goal. Even there was no power or electricity or water half of the time, work was really exciting, it was a challenging environment, you always had friends and people to do stuff with and go out to eat. Actually when I came to Paris, that was kind of a shock because this was real life. That wasn't real life. And this was a real city - I came to Paris at 39 years old - people are married, people are already in their lives and don't just go out and make a bunch of friends. From that point of view in the beginning it wasn't easy getting set up. I wasn't working with NPR - I didn't have a job at all - I started at the Sorbonne taking French classes. It wasn't easy, I have to say, in the beginning, but things really fell into place. Kind of like a puzzle, bit by bit. G: How did you get into NPR then? EB: Well I loved NPR, and I was working for the World. I did pieces from Kosovo for them and I knew the NPR correspondent Nick Spicer. We had lunch, he was such a nice guy and he totally encouraged me. Then I ran into him in 2004. We were both at this German grave site because he was doing this piece for the World and he was with NPR and he was like "Hey I'm leaving, do you want me to recommend you" and I was like "Yeah!". He did, and I just started working immediately. I was kind of already up and going. For me it was incredible to be doing stuff from Paris. [NPR] said "We'll see how it goes and see how you work" and I never stopped... and I went to went to Washington and signed a contract. G: So is it true then that Carl Kasell has actually been dead for ten years and is just kept animated by Jim Henson's Creature Shop? EB: [Chuckles] Probably. You know, its kind of funny, I know my certain people that I work with at NPR, but I'm so far really from the whole real NPR scene, which is kind of good sometimes, but kind of bad because I feel out of it. And I've just recently gotten a radio that works on wi-fi, so everywhere in my house I can listen to the shows, which has really been good because I wasn't keeping up like I should have. G: Thanks for meeting with me Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Remember Neil's popular story on the Southwest Airlines stripper plane? Seems that the DJs over at Los Angeles's KROQ got a hold of it, and dedicated nearly 15 minutes of their show last week to discussing this legendary flight, and taking callers. They mention Neil's name a few times but sadly left out Gadling, saying instead the story was from our parent company, AOL. Still, pretty neat. Check it out below. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Remember Neil's popular story on the Southwest Airlines stripper plane? Seems that the DJs over at Los Angeles's KROQ got a hold of it, and dedicated nearly 15 minutes of their show last week to discussing this legendary flight, and taking callers. They mention Neil's name a few times but sadly left out Gadling, saying instead the story was from our parent company, AOL. Still, pretty neat. Check it out below. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: North America, United States, Transportation While a taxi is the most comfortable way to travel from JFK airport to Manhattan, it isn't exactly cheap. (Unless, of course, you are traveling from the UK. Then it must seem like a bargain). The trip will set you back a flat fee of $45 plus tip. If you have more than 3 people traveling, it makes sense. New York taxis don't charge you by the person or by the luggage, unlike some places. (Hello Panama! Hello Rome!) The good news is, you can take the subway from JFK airport straight into Manhattan for $7. The bad news is, it will take you at least an hour, maybe more during peak times. It is not the smoothest system out there. You first have to take the air train to the subway terminal. Here comes the tricky part, which confuses a lot of people. You have to figure out if you want the Jamaica subway station or Howard Beach subway station. Here is how I decide: If I have to go downtown Manhattan (south of 14th Street), I take the A train from Howard Beach. If I have to go to midtown or uptown (north of 14th Street), I find the Jamaica Station E train to be faster. Taking the subway from the airport into the city is a good way to prepare yourself for the urban jungle that awaits you in Manhattan. Most escalators in subways don't work, so you might find yourself schlepping your bag up 50 stairs. There are other subway joys, such as the turnstiles, which are absolutely incompatible with wheeled bags. Then there is the problem with limited space, which seems to only bother you, not the other 15 people who just squeezed their butts into an already packed train. When you finally arrive at your hotel (or your friend's tiny studio), you will be drenched in sweat and the phrase "If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere" will take on a whole new meaning. This is when a nice chilled Manhattan comes in handy. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Oceania, Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines Travel, when done right, is an active, engaging adventure during which every day reveals something new and exciting. But every once in a while, travel is nothing more than a well deserved excuse to escape from the real world and do absolutely nothing. And this is exactly the way I usually feel at the end of the calendar year when I'm burnt out, overworked, and in desperate need of reinvigoration. And so, my girlfriend and I headed to the South Pacific this last Christmas vacation for some well deserved R Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

"I've found that the most effective way to annoy our two kids," writes Europe Through the Back Door guru Rick Steves on his blog, "is to act like someone from their generation." I'm pleased to say that Rick is correct, and he's found the magic formula in a rap song he composed for his daughter's high school radio station. It's embarrassingly bad, but you can't help but love him for it. Click here to listen to the Rick Steves rap. Europe Through the Back Door is pretty much the bomb so you should hit me up at Rick Steves [dot com] ... yeeeah boy! [Via World Hum] Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Books, One for the Road As the year draws to a close, instead of compiling a list of favorite books from 2007, I've decided to focus this last post on what's to come. Looking forward, there are some interesting travel titles set for release during 2008. Maybe you'll find something among these to add to your "must-read" list for the new year: For Louisiana lovers: Poor Man's Provence: Finding Myself in Cajun Louisiana by Rheta Grimsley Johnson (John F. Blair Publishers, January) For intrepid explorers: Near Death on the High Seas: True Stories of Disaster and Survival, edited by Cecil Kuhne (Vintage, March) For jet-set shoppers: Suzy Gershman's Where to Buy the Best of Everything: The Outspoken Guide for World Travelers and Online Shoppers (Wiley, April) For travelers who like to stay close to home: Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey by James Atlee (University of Chicago, Spring) For gamers: The Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities (University of Michigan, May) For a really good laugh: Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid by J. Maarten Troost (Random House, June) For fans of fiction: Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim by Tom Corwin (Flying Dolphin, June) For travel-with-a-purpose types: The Great American Attraction: Two Brits Discover the Rolliking World of American Festivals (Three Rivers Press, August) For lit-minded travelers: From a wonderful travel lit press in the U.K., three new titles in their Poetry of Place series: Rome, Dublin and England (Eland Books, November) For inspiration: Traversa: A Solo Walk Across Africa from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean by Fran Sandham (Overlook Press, Winter) This is merely a quick preview of what's sure to be another year chock full of travel book choices. There's plenty more on the publishing horizon, including innovative "beyond the book" projects like the recently launched "networked novel" Flight Paths. The sky's the limit when it comes to reading journeys! Regardless of what you read in new year, I hope the experience takes you to great places. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Books, One for the Road Here's a second creative travel-themed title from a Canadian writer featured here this week: Science journalist Jeff Warren takes readers on a tour of the mind in The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness. This "field-guide" to the mind explores lucid dreaming, Eastern meditative practices, hypnosis, neurofeedback and other brain awareness activities. From the publisher: Part user's manual and part travel guide, The Head Trip is an instant classic, a brilliant summation of consciousness studies that is also a practical guide to enhancing creativity, mental health, and the experience of what it means to be human. Many books claim that they will change you. This one gives you the tools to change yourself. Psychology and neuroscience are packaged with humor in this adventurous trip through our own heads. As mysterious as any journey embarked upon with no set route or agenda, this mind-mapping memoir travels through the twelve unique states of mind available to humans over a 24-hour day. Not your average travel book, of course, but quite a ride just the same. Warren provided his own witty illustrations for the book too. Oh, and not that it matters, but he has penned a more "traditional" guidebook as well. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: North America, United States, Books, One for the Road Whenever I return to New York after traveling overseas, the city becomes my home (again), and invariably also my comfort food -- the tastes, smells and sounds of a larger world reminding me that it's going to be O.K. if I don't get back out there and travel again right away. There are plenty of ways to experience the world right here in the Big Apple! I know this, yet it can be so easy to get caught up in daily drudgery and forget to look outside - to really LOOK and see what this city has to offer. Which is why a book like this one by New York Times reporter Joseph Berger, is perfect for hopeless wanderlusts like me: The World in a City: Traveling the Globe Through the Neighborhoods of the New New York. From the publisher: For urban enthusiasts and armchair explorers alike, The World in a City is a look at today's polyglot and polychrome, cosmopolitan and culturally rich New York and the lessons it holds for the rest of the US as immigration changes the face of the nation. With three out of five of the city's residents either foreign-born or second-generation Americans, New York has become more than ever a collection of villages-virtually self-reliant hamlets, each exquisitely textured by its particular ethnicities, history, and politics. For the price of a subway ride, you can visit Ghana, the Philippines, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh. This Thanksgiving, I'm more than grateful to be able to call this microcosm of the world my home. And I'm thankful for books like this, which encourage me to keep on exploring, right here in my own backyard. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Talking Travel, Here's a really long category name for testing, Asia, North America First, a warning: don't try this at home. Not that you would, since you'd either have to live in Greenland or keep monstrous icebergs around the house. No icebergs? OK, then read on. The photos here, and the amazing video that accompanies it, take us to, well, not Greenland, but a series of icebergs that came off Greenland and which lie ten miles off Labrador's coast. The climber in the video here is Will Gadd, a 38-year old adrenaline junkie, who also happens to be one of the top ice climbers in the world...which I thinks helps matters when you're talking about such ballsy stuff. Me? I think I'll stick to the neighborhood climbing wall. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Blogs, Stories I came across this travelers' bounty on the Rambling Traveler. At World Hum this week there has been an on-line conversation between accomplished women travelers Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson. The four women are presenting their experiences about traveling alone as a female. Each entry of the eleven is a mini-essay of sorts that turns on the subject broached in the essay or essays before it. The result is a wonderful blend of thought, musings and descriptions of traveling experiences with some how-tos mixed in. In the first entry Terry Ward describes her first solo bus ride when the man sitting next to her in Jordan propositioned her while the woman, increasingly agitated with the conversation, burst out "He's my husband." The next essay turns on the idea of playing or not playing the female card and the complexities of that one. The third essay Liz Sinclair elaborates even further on the idea of the feminine card and recounts using various techniques of flirting, crying or, in once, case breaking a cab driver's jaw when he physically tried to get more money out of her. I found their conversations fascinating. For women, whether you are a solo traveler or not, you'll recognize situations in your every day life where you've perhaps felt a similar way or have been in a similar situation even if you've barely left your hometown. For men, these women's conversation is a wonderfully rich glimpse in what it's like being female--the good and the bad. I would say the good out weighs the bad since the four continue to ramble across the globe. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: South America, Bolivia Bolivia, the world's third largest cocaine producer, has escaped US drug sanctions because it met the counter-narcotics commitment of eradicating at least 5,000 hectares (12,360 acres) of coca crop. According to Reuters, cocaine seizures were up 17 percent to 11 tonnes in Bolivia from October 2006 to May 2007, while coca leaf seizures increased by 48 percent. However, this could paradoxically be the result of higher production of cocaine. Last year, the US imposed a "zero cocaine, but not zero coca" policy, allowing coca growers to develop a market for legal coca products. Bolivians believe that coca leaves are healthy. They have chewed them for centuries as a mild stimulant that reduces hunger pangs and altitude sickness. Seems to me that Bolivians will have a hard time importing legal coca leaves to the US arguing that Americans need to cure their hunger pangs. Hunger is quite possibly the last thing Americans need cured. However, I was surprised to find that you can buy coca tea in the US on ebay.com. I was even more surprised to find that they mix coca leaves with, of all things, chamomile. "Sleepy time, brought to you by coca." It is a strange, conflicted world we live in, folks.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Food and Drink Nothing is more American than apple pie and baseball. And nothing is more baseball than peanuts and crackerjacks. Maybe 100 years ago... Today's major league stadiums are chock-full of specialty foods that are often signature items for a particular park. For me, growing up in Los Angeles, it was the Dodger Dog. Mmmm... I was disappointed, however, to learn that the Dodger Dog did not make this year's Sporting News list of Best Ballpark Food in America. In fact, I recognized almost nothing traditional about the five items on the list--although baseball fans at each of the stadiums featured would vehemently disagree with me. For the record, here are the best five foods found at baseball stadiums across America according to the editors of Sporting News. For a detailed description of each, click here. Sausage and chowder: Fenway Park Rocky Mountain oysters: Coors Field Primanti Bros. Sandwich: PNC Park Rubio's fish taco: Petco Park Old Style beer: Wrigley FieldPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Learning, Japan Foreign films are wonderful because they so expertly perform two very important functions; they expose viewers to a different culture and, at the same time, a strange new language. I quite enjoy sitting back and exploring foreign lands through the wonder of cinema. Foreign cinema, however, is even more of a powerful force when one is trying to learn a language. Do you have any idea how many people have learned to speak English from watching crappy Hollywood films? Lots. I've met them all over the planet. But what about native English speakers trying to learn a foreign language? Finding foreign films to watch in America has become a lot easier in the last decade and I've quite enjoyed the increased opportunities to brush up on my Czech through various movies that pop up on IFC and other cool channels. Recently, our friends over at Mahalo sent us a link describing how they've gone about learning Japanese. No, not from original versions of Speed Racer and Kimba the White Lion, but rather from Japan's most decorated director: Akira Kurosawa. Learning Japanese with Akira Kurosawa is a rather engaging way to learn a rather difficult language. The brief tutorial calls out specific phrases in specific scenes and describes the various nuances and differences in pronunciation. English subtitles naturally help the process (although a second lesson removes them entirely). The coolest thing, however, for someone like myself with little interest in learning Japanese, is that that tutorial includes entire feature length films (as is the video above). So, at the very minimum, you might accidentally pick up some Japanese while watching one of this world's greatest directors ply his craft. It's a win-win situation if you ask me. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Oman, Camping On October 4 the excellent British travel magazine Wanderlust will announce the winner of their annual guide awards. Named after the late Paul Morrison, one of the founders of Wanderlust, the awards recognise excellence in travel guiding. Bill Bryson and Michael Palin will select the winner from a short list of six tour guides that work in countries as diverse as Mongolia, Egypt and Romania. In your opinion what are the qualities a great guide must possess? In my recent trip to Oman, the wonderful Hilal came close to perfection with a winning combination of humour, energy and a profound love of his country. His skill at juggling an MP3 player and a cellphone while threading a 4WD through the maze of Omani dunes was also pretty impressive. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Asia, China, Books, One for the Road, Chinese Buffet As a sidebar to this month's Chinese Buffet series, throughout August, One for the Road will highlight travel guides, reference books and other recommended reads related to life or travel in China. Did I mention that I read an entire book while on the train from Beijing to Shanghai? While browsing at the Foreign Language Bookstore on Wangfujing Dajie in Beijing, I came across a copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Since my backpack was already overloaded with guidebooks, I really had no business buying another book, but this tiny paperback was whispering to me. After I learned that the plot revolved around a secret trunk of forbidden books, I knew I had to have it. The tale begins in the summer of 1968, when two boys, both sons of doctors, are sent to a "re-education camp" during the height of Mao's Cultural Revolution. The story revolves around their friendship, the beautiful little seamstress and a mysterious collection of Western classics, hidden in a suitcase in the home of their friend "Four Eyes". Anyone with a passion for literature will probably find this historical novel to be a quick and enjoyable read. (It's perfect reading material for an all day train trip through China too!) Written by Dai Sijie, a Chinese filmmaker who has lived in France since 1984, a movie version of the book opened the Cannes Film Festival in 2002.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Gear, Europe There are an increasing number of digital resources to help make travel easier these days. One of the more exciting is the world of MP3 walking tours. Walki-Talki is just one of many companies currently offering up this service. The concept is simple. Pay $7.99 and download a PDF map and an MP3 podcast. Load it up on your iPod, and then hit the city. What I like about this particular company is the very proper British accent of the narrator, BBC broadcaster Ben Silburn. His accent lends just the right amount of class and sophistication to the podcast, elevating what would normally be a simple walk through town into a cultural immersion. For a sample, click here. Currently, Walki-Talki has walking tours of only nine European cities (Rome, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona and Edinburgh), but more are on their way. Those of you who like that personal touch of a private tour guide but don't want to drop the money or be corralled into a large tour group, might want to consider this cheaper, more flexible option. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Gear The biggest pipedream in all of travel is taking to the air with a jet pack. Since the 1950s, modern man has dreamed about strapping on some type of rocket to his back and jetting off to work or play. This was supposed to be the future of travel. Back in 1953 when the first jet pack was built by Bell Labs, every ten-year old kid dreamed of the not-too-distant future, say... 1990 or 2000 when such an invention would be a simple household appliance. Just like flying cars, for example. Well, unfortunately, science has let us down; the jet pack is no more a reality these days than a transporter. According to Popular Mechanics, however, two companies are now trying to live up to the failed promises of science by making jet packs available to the public. Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana, for example, is selling a $250,000 jet pack that runs on hydrogen peroxide and keeps its wearer aloft for a whopping 30 seconds. Jetpack International offers a cheaper version for $155,000 that provides three more seconds of lift. Oh boy! (Click here to see video). Here's the interesting news, however. Both companies are promising advanced models within the year that are powered by either propane or actual jet fuel. The lift time with these more combustible fuels is expected to be 19 minutes. Now we're talking! Or are they just toying with us again? Please Mr. Scientist, don't crush our dreams like you did before. Little Jimmy wants to fly!!!Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments