Archive for July, 2008
Laotian charms in Luang Prabang
The Southeast Asian nation of Laos is still a fairly untraveled destination, especially compared to its neighbor, Thailand. But the word is getting out about the charms of the Laotian town of Luang Prabang. Gayle Keck went there recently with her husband and wrote about their experiences for the Washington Post. Strangers talk to one another [...]
The paradoxes of Tel Aviv and Israel
There was an interesting recent article about Tel Aviv in the New York Times travel section. It’s interesting because it not only gives the typical tourist overview of a destination, but it gets into the culture and the psyche of Tel Aviv and Israel. An excerpt: Tel Aviv is “half Iran, half California; it’s a synagogue [...]
Women go hungrier in parts of Africa
The Washington Post has a sad story about the state of women in the poorest parts of Africa. When food is scarce in some countries, the culture dictates not that the meager amount should be shared equally among all members of a family, but rather that men and children should eat first, leaving the women to eat last and sometimes to [...]
KFC (sort of) in Afghanistan
No, it’s not the KFC you were probably expecting. Although it’s close. In Afghanistan, Kentucky Fried Chicken has been transformed into Kabul Fried Chicken by an Afghan expatriate who has returned to his home country with his sights set on an emerging market for fast foods. Time magazine has the story. As the sun sets in [...]
LA beaches and Alaskan train rides
It’s all too easy sometimes to focus on all of the interesting travel destinations abroad and to miss some of the equally interesting locations in our own country. That point was driven home by two recent travel features in different newspapers. First, the Boston Globe raved about West Coast beaches in this article. Or, specifically, [...]
Talking travel with Arthur Frommer
Everyone knows about the Frommer’s series of travel guidebooks, but what about the man behind the guides? Arthur Frommer just did an online interview for Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding site and talked about his life as a traveler and a writer. Some highlights: How did you get started traveling? By accident, and at the expense of Uncle Sam. [...]
In Iran with Rick Steves
Rick Steves became famous for his European travel advice, but he recently journeyed to Iran in order to produce a documentary about that country and its people. A photo essay about the trip was then published in Yes! magazine. The experience was described by Abdi Sami, who accompanied Rick on his travels. Over the years, [...]
Jib Jab’s satire of U.S. politics
If you follow U.S. politics, you’ll enjoy Jib Jab’s latest animated satire of this year’s election campaign. They poke fun at everyone involved. Check it out: Jib Jab first became famous for a satire of George Bush and John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election. It’s a classic and is still fun to [...]
Resurgent Lisbon
The Portuguese city of Lisbon has often been an afterthought when considering the great capitals of Europe, but that seems to be changing. Lisbon is getting increasingly good press of late, culminating in this nice profile in the travel section of Sunday NY Times, which focuses on the city’s vibrant arts scene. After all, this wasn’t [...]
Riel World photo – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina Argentine tango dancers in a public square in Buenos Aires.
Dancing around the world
Now, this is the way to travel around the world. Matt Harding‘s latest dancing/travel video… You can read more about Matt at his website, or in this recent NY Times profile.
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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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