Archive for December, 2008
The lost ark in Ethiopia?
The lost ark of the covenant, which once housed the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. It’s an enduring legend, one that has never been solved but which has enchanted legions of scholars and laypeople. Steven Spielberg even made a pretty good movie out of it. But is the ark really [...]
Seeing Indonesia with your son
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season! Now it’s back to work… Have you ever wanted to go to Indonesia? Would you go there with your two-year-old son? With your nine-year-old son? Lisa Reed did both – traveling there with her two-year-old son in 2001 and returning this year with the same child, now [...]
Christmas traditions
Tomorrow is Christmas Day, so it’s a good time to take a look at some of our holiday traditions – how they’ve evolved through the years and how much these customs are a product of celebrations from various other countries and cultures. A story in the Orlando Sentinel makes the point that our current holiday is [...]
Discovering a love of travel
I always love to hear stories of how other people discovered their love of travel, and a great source for this are the monthly interviews with travel writers that Rolf Potts publishes on his website. He recently interviewed Catherine Watson. Here is an excerpt: How did you get started traveling? By the time I was a teenager, [...]
Travels in Israel
Are you interested in Israel? The Los Angeles Times just published a three-part travel series on the country, with articles on Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Sea of Galilee. Here is an excerpt from the piece on Galilee. After spending a few days in Tel Aviv, I rented a car and set out with my [...]
Technology and the world
Two recent articles caught my eye. They are both about the impact that technology is having (or not having) on opening up the world and promoting greater transparency. The first piece concerns technology in Egypt, and focuses on the fact that Apple disabled the GPS feature on its iPhone in that country. This was at the [...]
World’s sexiest cities?
What makes a city sexy? Romantic locales, sultry dancing, or adult playgrounds? Virgin Media online put together a rundown of what it considers the world’s ten sexiest cities. A sample: Buenos Aires, Argentina- No form of music and dance is sexier than Tango, and Buenos Aires is its birthplace. The people of this most grand [...]
The shoe toss heard round the world
By now, everyone has heard of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George Bush during a press conference. Almost all of the press coverage has dutifully reported that throwing a shoe at someone is a grave insult in the Arab world, a comment that has sparked countless other individuals to respond with [...]
The must-see city of Cusco
Is Cusco, Peru, a must-see destination? Simon Calder thinks so, and he explains why in this story for the U.K. Independent. When asked the same question: where is the essential stop on a 21st-century Grand Tour? I surprised myself by answering without a second thought, “Cusco”. Marketing folk expend much time dreaming up slogans for [...]
Does meat eating contribute to global warming?
No, it’s not a trick question. Actually, many scientists will tell you the answer is yes. Check out this thought-provoking article in the International Herald Tribune for the whole story. In releasing its latest figure on emissions last month, United Nations climate officials cited agriculture and transportation as the two sectors that remained most “problematic.” “It’s [...]
Whirling dervishes
Have you ever heard of the whirling dervishes? Have you ever seen a performance? The only one I ever saw was, oddly enough, in Egypt and not Turkey, which is the country more commonly associated with these spiritual dancers. Nevertheless, the performance by the lone dancer I saw was incredible. I couldn’t take my eyes off [...]
Culture shock for expats
An overseas assignment can be an exciting adventure for business executives and their families. Unfortunately, it can also be a confusing, stressful experience for families who have difficulty adapting to a different culture or to sharp changes in one’s social network and identity. Proper preparation before heading abroad, including cross-cultural training, can be the difference between [...]
Stay current with the Riel World
Follow me on Twitter
Join me on Facebook 
Subscribe by EmailMeet Bob Riel
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.
Great American Road Trips
Two Laps Around the World
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.
Visit Travel Blog Exchange
