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Solo Travel
2007-12-06 21:38:00
aka my favorite kind of travel. While I love travelling for short periods with friends/family and enjoyed meeting up with people at different segments of the long Australia trip, I wouldn’t trade the solo travel periods for anything. I got to wake up in the morning and do exactly as I wanted. I could change ...
More About: Travel , General , Solo

Frequent Flyer Miles
2007-12-03 19:29:00
The Coach Class post on credit cards and air miles together with two related posts from Upgrade:Travel Better got me thinking… Currently my banks: ~40K on AA (yeah, I flew a lot this summer!) - this also includes miles posted from my AA World Mastercard ~36K on NWA - old miles. I had an NWA Visa ...
More About: Miles , Flyer , Frequent Flyer

50 Best Travel Websites of 2007
2007-11-28 22:19:00
spotted it on the backpackers.com blog… Times Online published their 50 best travel websites of 2007. Some new to me, some old favorites. Ones I particularly like: Yapta - a great tracking site for airfares and more user friendly than farecompare. passportstamp.com - ooh an interactive way of doing what I’ve done since January 2003 Lots of featured ...
More About: Travel , Websites , Reference

Viva Las Vegas
2007-11-27 17:07:00
Las Vegas …nothing like I really expected it to be. When I first booked the trip I had no real expectations. I just wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been and a domestic trip was more reasonable given the time constraints of a long weekend. So Vegas it was with the added benefit that Tam ...
More About: Las Vegas , Tourism , Viva Las Vegas , Viva

Flying Coach/Virgin America
2007-11-26 19:05:00
interesting mention of the NY Times article on flying economy class… Personally, I don’t think coach is that bad. Have I enjoyed Continental’s higher level of service that includes pillows, blankets and snacks? Sure. Would I pay a higher price for it? Probably not. What I did love this weekend was being able to book an ...
More About: America , Travel , Flying , Virgin , Coach

School/Strike/Etc.
2007-11-13 18:54:00
Quiet here since school has been taking up far too much of my time. I had my ASP (the Tisch Center’s version of a masters’ thesis) proposal due Friday. If that isn’t accepted I have to do a group research project and since I’ve had it with group projects, I really hope my proposal is ...
More About: School , Strike , Masters

Travel Karma/LAX
2007-11-05 15:47:00
Bank of Travel Karma : Deposit Made I was waiting for the train to Penn this morning at EWR when I noticed two nervous looking travelers. Turned out they’d just arrived from Israel and were a little disoriented/jet-lagged/uncertain. On the train from EWR to NY Penn another joined us and I helped the trio navigate to Amtrak ticket sales, as well as an older Israeli couple to the “E” train. The “leader” (more outgoing, more English) of the defacto trio thanked me profusely and told me I was doing a mitzvah. It just made me happy to be able to repay some of the travel kindness I’ve received all over the world. I was not at all surprised when my updated FlightMemory stats showed that LAX is tied with KIX as my most frequent airport — I feel like I’ve lived there recently. Been in 5 different terminals on the four recent trips: Bradley (x2), Frontier (T3) American Airlines (T4), NWA (T2) and Continental (T6). T6 is very dilapidated looking, ...
More About: Arma

Wikipedia/Backpacking
2007-10-29 17:22:00
So in all my extensive free time, I’ve self-nominated to re-write Wikipedia ’s entry on Backpacking . I’m not sure why I want to do it, other than its uselessness is driving me nuts - that a good reason? I’ve come to realise it needs to be blown up rather than re-written but I’m struggling to get the tone ...

Roasted Bunny
2007-10-26 17:47:00
It’sOva: probably the only part of the situation that anyone can laugh at. Nova files for bankruptcy with debt of ¥43.9 billion Not surprised, but it’s still bittersweet. The crippling blow came in June, when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ordered Nova to partially suspend business because of false advertising. The penalty, which included ...
More About: Japan , Bunny

Budgets & Itineraries?
2007-10-24 22:28:00
not new, but I just stumbled across Seat61’s How to plan your budget and itinerary. Very clear and well laid out, but I can honestly say I’ve never gone into such depth. I’m too spontaneous. In Australia I got fed up with plans changing and decided to wing it. I loved it. Only downside, I was ...
More About: Tourism , Budgets

A frog in a well knows not the ocean?
2007-10-22 20:19:00
yeah, that sounds a lot better in Japan ese….I no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu. I remember when I first learned the proverb from one of my students the first time I was in Japan, but I forgot about it until I read it this morning in The Blue-Eyed Salaryman. Cover included because I can’t even ...
More About: Ocean , Frog , The O , Well

More than Tourists
2007-10-17 21:17:00
‘Zine Proves Prague Students are More than Tourists … interesting article in yesterday’s Washington Square News. “We want to expand our perspective, see each other as locals might and constantly push the limits of our role as tourists,” wrote Duke University junior Casey Dean and NYU’s Billy O’Hare, the magazines editors-in-chief, in a letter featured ...

Backpacking and Backpacks?
2007-10-15 19:24:00
I *know* I’ve added “backpacking” as a category more than once now, yet it never shows in my category list. It’s under “Travel and Tourism ” but for some reason, sub headers don’t show here. Weird. Anyway… The other day, GoBudgetTravel asked “Is the Backpack Even Necessary“, which followed a post from this summer ” What Backpacking ...
More About: Backpacks , Packs

Experimental Travel / Budget Airlines / ?How Low Can You Go??
2007-10-15 04:21:00
I just finished reading Tom Chesshyre’s How Low Can you Go?: Round Europe For 1p Each Way (Plus Tax) [Good Reads Review], with which I was pleasantly surprised. Experimental Tourism isn’t new (2003 CNN article) and even Lonely Planet has covered it, but I like this author’s take on it.  I totally agree that you ...
More About: Travel , Books , Airlines , Budget

Ozbus: Redux
2007-10-09 21:22:00
Once again, Peter Moore’s blog is the source of the Ozbus update. The main Guardian article has disappeared for some reason, but the message and response from Moore in the blog remain. While I agree with Moore in that the unexpected is very much a major part of independent travel - and related very much ...
More About: Travel , General , Backpacking

Wikinomics
2007-10-09 20:34:00
I’d say I’m reading Wikinomics , but the reality is I started it this morning on the train and decided it required way too much brain power for a Tuesday masquerading as Monday. Nevertheless, I like the idea behind the book and it’s dovetailing well with some of the work I’ve been doing lately: tracking social media/alternative ...
More About: Books , Wikipedia , Masters

Bunny: Redux
2007-10-08 01:43:00
Things have only gotten more interesting in the last month. I’ve enjoyed the Facebook groups as a venue for re-connecting with old friends from either stint in Japan but they’ve also given me far more information about the current state of the bunny. Nova Collapse Feared is certainly an attention-garnering headline, but it doesn’t say anything ...
More About: Bunny

BBC/Lonely Planet
2007-10-03 17:37:00
BBC buys 75% Lonely Planet Stake From a business perspective, this doesn’t surprise me. However, having just read Unlikely Destinations, it shocks me. There was a lot of discussion about the evolution of the company and the long process of deciding who would buy out Frank’s stake, and now it goes to a corporation. While I’m ...
More About: Travel , Reference , Lonely Planet

Vayama
2007-10-02 18:41:00
So it seems as if Vayama’s specials are exactly what I’ve been looking for. It combines what LastMinute.com (and the various int’l versions) and Flylc do, yet it’s only international from the US. I wouldn’t book from Vayama due to their fees and the fact that the rates aren’t always the best, but their search allows ...
More About: Travel , Search

Airports as far more than a transport hub
2007-10-02 17:11:00
When the Airport Becomes a Mall via Fodor’s/Flight Delayed Again - That Feels Good via LA Times I think the surprising thing about either the blurb or the article is that it’s presented as ‘new’. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by my experiences in the Asian airports, namely Kansai (Osaka), Incheon (Seoul) and Changi (Singapore). Although Incheon is ...
More About: Travel , Transport , Airports , Ports , Tran

Frommer and Freakonomics?
2007-09-30 02:19:00
Arthur Fromm er Answers All Your Travel Questions, And Then Some from the newly re-homed Freakonomics blog… That article made me smile. I’m not much of a user of Frommer’s guides, but I met him last December when a professor brought him in to speak to our class. I was thrilled when he remembered me two months ...

Air Ads?
2007-09-25 21:06:00
The View from your Window was Brought to you by… definitely not this site. I think it’s crazy! Visual pollution, above all. I love the views from the plane. I doubt I’ll ever forget the photo I took flying back from Spain in 1996 of the clouds and their shadows over Portugal, the Australian coastline Northeast of Darwin or the view of Seoul en route back to Osaka. I certainly don’t want to see ads. Ad-Air said it had secured regulatory and planning approval to set up ad sites near more than a dozen major airports, including Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle near Paris, Hartsfield-Jackson near Atlanta, Denver International, Los Angeles International, Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok, Haneda in Tokyo and Dubai International. It said it was still negotiating with others to create a network of ad sites near 30 airports over all. I suppose it’s a small favor that it’s not going to be in New York. At least at Haneda, and I suppose a lot of SE Asia, more visual pollut...

Ozbus
2007-09-24 00:04:00
Was reading Peter Moore’s blog and he mentioned Ozbus. Not cheap, but WOW! I’ve read a lot of books about the overland trip, including Moore’s own The Wrong Way Home, Farewell Hippie Heaven and For Love and a Beetle and I’ve loved them all. The overland trip is something I’d love to do one day but it’s not very practical to do it independently given today’s political climate and I don’t know if I’d enjoy it in a group. The week in WA with Red Earth Safaris was about my limit for a tour. Maybe one day. In the mean time, I’m trying to decide what to do for my birthday. Have decided to do something interesting but it’s only a long weekend. Someone suggested Rio/Buenos Aires as the flights are over night but I think I’m going to stick a bit closer. Maybe The Caribbean, or one of the European islands. Suggestions? Tags Books, Travel: General

Statue of Liberty Sadness
2007-09-19 21:09:00
For Safety, Lady Liberty ?s Crown Will Stay Closed, Park Service Says I’d like to say I get it, but I don’t. ?Our primary concerns about public access to the Statue of Liberty?s crown are safety and health concerns, not terrorism,? Daniel N. Wenk, the deputy director of the park service, said at a Congressional hearing on ...
More About: New York City , Sadness , Statue of Liberty

Bunny Goes Bust?
2007-09-17 04:13:00
So it seems that NOVA’s financial struggles, due in part to their METI sanction handed down in June, have come to a head with teachers not being paid according to their contract. Reports had surfaced last month of a huge operating loss, but I admit I’m somewhat surprised. I guess I just didn’t think it ...
More About: Japan , Bust , Nova , Bunny , Goes

So I finally gave in?
2007-09-16 04:07:00
after random e-mail requests and saying “sorry, I’m not on facebook”, dinner with a friend tonight convinced me. Plus, sounds like we might be using it for class so… I’ve added those who I knew were on, feel free to add me. Another week down at school and work. To be honest, I’m finding it hard ...
More About: Finally , Fina , Ally

Commute Time: 1 hr, 7 min
2007-09-12 01:03:00
Impressive? Well no, I sometimes miss the 18 min door to door from GSH and will probably never top the Wooden Indian, but I thought that was pretty good. I left the office (on 7th between 52nd and 53rd) at 5:15 and walked into the house at 6:22. That included speed walking to the GCT ...
More About: Time , Commute , Commuting , Mute

Commute Redux?
2007-09-11 03:02:00
So I’m not totally crazy in that I wouldn’t love to live within spitting distance of work and school, however commuting by bus/train has its benefits. Namely I have my reading time back, something rarely seen last year. Today I read 106 pages between the morning and the evening commutes and loved it. Much like ...
More About: Travel , Reading , General , Commute , Commuting

NYC & Company / Semester Week 1 / Economics of the Commute
2007-09-08 05:23:00
I’d like to say this is the end of week 1, however I have class tomorrow. Yes, on a Saturday. Ideal, no. Manageable, yes. I think it will be an interesting class. For those who didn’t know, I got the internship I really wanted at NYC & Company . I’ve been there for three days and am ...
More About: Economics , Week , Semester , Commute

Sleeping in airports/ The Devil?s Picnic?
2007-09-04 02:11:00
So this backpackers.com post made me laugh. I’ve spent two nights in airports, Barajas (Madrid) and Ruzyne (Prague), which the latter being a much better experience. The results here do and don’t surprise me. Sure, Singapore is an amazingly clean and safe airport, but I can’t imagine being able to sleep in peace there. ...
More About: Sleeping , Airports , Devil , The D , Ports