Archive for November, 2006
Seeing Mexico by public bus
The most recent Washington Post travel section carried a fun story by Ben Brazil about a journey he and his wife took through southern Mexico, entirely on their own and via public transportation.
For nearly a week, my new wife, Laura, and I had been traveling Mexico’s Carretera Fronteriza del Sur — the Southern Border Highway — [...]
The Pope in Turkey
Pope Benedict XVI has embarked a trip to Turkey, where he began by supporting Turkey’s membership in the European Union and calling for more dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The Pope’s travels have spurred a flurry of media coverage, focusing not only on religion but also on Turkey and it’s role as a bridge between [...]
Balancing two cultures as an immigrant
It is always a challenge for immigrants to assimilate into a new culture. The children of immigrants, moreover, often feel torn between two cultures. The Associated Press recently had an interesting article about some of the choices being made by the children of immigrants in Europe.
As Europe goes through a wrenching debate over integrating immigrant populations [...]
Buddhist tourism
Interested in knowing how a Buddhist monk lives? Some Buddhist temples in South Korea are now allowing visitors to sample the lifestyle of an ordained monk through a program called Templestay Korea. Catherine Price recently spent two days living the life of a monk and wrote about her experience for the NY Times.
Meditation and prostration, [...]
More U.S. students are studying abroad
The number of American students who are studying abroad continues to rise. According to a recent report issued by the Institute of International Education, last year saw an 8% increase in college students who opted for an international study program.
While the largest number of students still go to countries in Western Europe, there has been a [...]
Thanksgiving culinary traditions
Today is the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, when families across the country traditionally come together for a day that is centered around a special meal. There are many time-honored recipes and ways of celebrating the day, although it’s worth noting that among the diversity of ethnic and racial groups in the U.S., many of the [...]
AIDS and African cultural traditions
For years now, those on the front lines of the fight against AIDS in Africa have focused on the most traditional means of transmitting the disease. Now, though, there is evidence that AIDS may also be spread through some cultural traditions, such as local healing methods, tribal body markings and even child care practices. The NY Times has a story on [...]
Standing at the edge of the world
Ushuaia, Argentina, bills itself as the southernmost city in the world. It is virtually an island within an island, as it sits at the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego, trapped between the Andes Mountains and the sea. The Pan-American highway ends (or begins) here, at the edge of the South American continent, just 600-700 miles [...]
Journeying through Patagonia
I’ve been doing a bit of my own traveling the past couple of weeks. Lisa and I have been meaning to explore more of South America and so we decided to take a bit of time to see part of Argentina. It’s too big of a country to explore in one trip and so our [...]
East meets West in Istanbul
Turkey is the place to go if you want to experience a bit of the Middle East and a bit of Europe in the same country. And Istanbul is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world. You can sip apple tea by the shimmering waters of the Golden Horn while gazing [...]
Policing fashion shows in India
It can be risky to show too much skin in India, even for a model. According to this recent story, Indian police have begun monitoring fashion shows to make sure that models are appropriately covered up.
Indian police have an unusual undercover surveillance job this week: scanning the ramps and observing models at a top fashion show [...]
The Islamic debate over the veil
It’s commonly assumed among Westerners that residents of Islamic countries uniformly support the veiling of women. However, as the Christian Science Monitor reports, some of the most vigorous debates on this issue occur not between the West and Islam, but between different factions inside Islamic countries. Interestingly, the debate over the veil is as intense within [...]
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Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
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