Archive for March, 2008
Travel spurs creativity
Need another reason to travel? Because it spurs inspiration and creativity… The reason travel spurs inspiration is the stimulus, said Jeannine McGlade, co-author of “Stimulated! Habits to Spark Your Creative Genius at Work.” “When you’re in a new environment, you have what we call ‘eyes wide open,’ ” she said. “It’s not the ‘same old, same [...]
Earth-eating black hole in Switzerland?
I had to link to this article, which I found fascinating if for no other reason than that it shows how physicists seem to exist on a different plane of existence than I do. I love reading about modern physics, but I truly can’t comprehend how any of this works. What about you? First of all, no, you’re not about to get [...]
Riel World photo – Patagonia, Argentina
Puerto Moreno Glacier, Argentina A few days ago I had a post about the popularity of Buenos Aires. Of course, there is a lot more to Argentina than that one city. When Lisa and I were there in 2006, we spent some time in the stunningly beautiful region of Patagonia. Not far from the small [...]
New democracy born in Himalayas
This past week saw a unique event in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, as residents trekked to the polls for the first time in the country’s history at the behest of the king, who voluntarily decided to give up royal power in order to move his country towards a democratic future. The Washington Post has [...]
American baseball in Japan
Baseball season begins today, with a season-opening game in Tokyo between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics. For American fans of these teams, the season begins at the ungodly hour of somewhere between 3 a.m. (West coast) and 6 a.m. (East coast). Still, it’s always an exciting day for fans, and the Japanese twist [...]
Expat artists transforming Buenos Aires
There has been no shortage of press coverage in the past year or two extolling the virtues of Argentina, and specifically of Buenos Aires, which many have labeled as the hip destination of choice for current expats. The New York Times also just published a story along those lines and explored the city’s unique cultural and artistic mix. [...]
Riel World photo – Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Siem Reap, Cambodia A Buddhist monk walks between the columns of the temple of Angkor Wat.
Spring and the Persian New Year
Today is the first day of spring. Which means it’s also the start of the Persian New Year, or Nowruz. To mark the day, NPR just ran a story about the holiday and the foods that are used to celebrate the occasion. Nowruz, the Persian New Year, begins at the exact moment of the vernal [...]
Poverty tourism
It sounds like an oxymoron, but in fact “slum tours” have become popular in some parts of the world, according to this NY Times article. Slum tourism, or “poorism,” as some call it, is catching on. From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the townships of Johannesburg to the garbage dumps of Mexico, tourists are [...]
Irish cuisine on St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! What better way to mark the day than with a tour of Irish cuisine? Ambrose Clancy did just that recently, traversing the island and sampling a variety of Irish meals. He wrote about his tour for the Sunday travel section of the Washington Post. The Irish have become prosperous and, of [...]
Technology opens up Cuba – slowly
From China to Cuba, governments have done their best to control technology and the internet in an effort to keep their societies from becoming too open. They’ve had some successes, but it’s nearly impossible to stop people from connecting to the outside world, as shown by this International Herald Tribune article about Cuba. Cuban officials have long [...]
Riel World photo – Mt. Sinai, Egypt
Mt. Sinai, Egypt Two Bedouin men lead their camels down the mountainside. I took this photo as we trudged down the rocky trail on the way back to the village of St. Catherine’s after having hiked up it during the night (from 2 to 5 a.m.) so that we could watch the sunrise from atop [...]
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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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My travel memoir - Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical - is about two round-the-world journeys with my wife.
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