Archive for October, 2007

Being a devout Muslim in space

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor of Malaysia just became the first Malaysian astronaut when a Soyuz rocket blasted off two days ago from Kazakhstan. For Sheikh Shukor, this journey is not only a significant accomplishment, but also a dilemma, for as a devout Muslim he must try to accommodate Islamic religious practices while in space. The Christian Science Monitor has an [...]

October 12, 2007 how we live 0 Comments

Europe in the fall

Summer is rightly the high season for tourism to Europe. The weather is warm and it’s a popular vacation period. But autumn can be an equally nice time to visit the continent, especially since airfares tend to be cheaper and tourist sites less crowded. The NY Times travel section recently featured the fall attractions of eight [...]

October 11, 2007 'Best of' lists, Europe 0 Comments

The Darjeeling Limited

A new movie about travel was recently released, The Darjeeling Limited by director Wes Anderson, about three brothers and a trip through India. I haven’t seen it yet, but World Hum has some thoughts about the film. An excerpt from their review: Hollywood rarely produces a great travel film. It endlessly mines the road trip for material [...]

October 10, 2007 why we travel 0 Comments

Lively Ramadan in Egypt

Islamic countries are currently in the midst of celebrating Ramadan, the month-long religious observance that is marked by daytime fasting. Interestingly, each country tends to bring its own style and traditions to the month. The Egyptians, for example, are known for having lively Ramadan celebrations, as the Christian Science Monitor reports. If Egyptians are known for one [...]

October 9, 2007 how we live 0 Comments

A new traveler is born

Exciting times – my first child was born recently and I wanted to share the news! Brady Robert Riel was born Sept. 25, 2007 at 10:33 a.m., weighing 7 lbs., 12 oz. He and his mother, Lisa, are both doing well, and we are all adjusting to a new schedule and to the wonderful new [...]

October 8, 2007 site news 1 Comment

Tipping customs in different cultures

It’s an issue guaranteed to cause consternation among many travelers. To tip or not to tip? And how much? That’s because tipping customs vary from country to country around the world and while it can obviously be perceived as an insult to not tip enough in some places, it can also be an insult to [...]

October 3, 2007 travel 1 Comment

Southeast Asia’s most romantic town

That would be Luang Prabang, Laos. At least according to Tim Patterson, who wrote an article for the San Francisco Chronicle about his experiences there. Here is an excerpt: My first hour in Luang Prabang was magical. The electricity was out, and in every wooden house, market stall and temple window, townspeople were lighting candles. [...]

October 1, 2007 Asia 1 Comment
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