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Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Good Reads that Make It OK to Stay Home

August 10, 2011 By noemi

I have not had a trip in 3 months and I have been feeling really bad about it. We were supposed to go to the beach last week but our circumstances prevented us from doing so and we had to cancel flights that we had booked in advance. The next trip we are planning isn’t due till the end of the year – not really too far in the future but far enough for me. Anyway, in order to find some solace, I looked up some books that would help me cope. To my delight, I discovered a couple that have great potential.

One is Don’t Go There! Written by Peter Greenberg, the book’s full title is “Don’t Go There! The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World.” He lists “which cruise ships are cited most often for outbreaks of intestinal viruses; which highways have high accident rates; which hotels are known for bedbugs; and which cities and countries are the most polluted, dangerous and diseased.”

Another potential series, according to this article that I read:

Since 1994, a small Michigan-based publisher, RDR Books, has been publishing a series called “I Should Have Stayed Home.” Two new editions were added this year: “I Should Have Stayed Home Hotels: Hospitality Disasters at Home and Abroad” and “I Should Have Stayed Home Food: Tantalizing Tales of Extreme Cuisine” ($14.95 each). “Collectively these stories have become a national archive of trouble travel,” said Publisher Roger Rapoport.

I suppose schadenfraude (happiness in the misfortune of others) applies in this case. In simple English, entertaining myself while sour graping… 🙂

Travel Quotes

August 7, 2010 By Zahir

Some of the world’s most famous minds have spoken of the attributes of travel, so I’ve taken it upon myself to assemble some of my favourites here below. I couldn’t agree with them more.

Robert Benchley

“In America there are two classes of travel – first class, and with children.”

Terry Hanson

“Now I know why they tell you to put your head between your knees on crash landings. You think you’re going to kiss your ass good-bye.”Mignon McLaughlin

“Whenever we safely land in a plane, we promise God a little something.”

Carl Burns

“A child on a farm sees a plane fly by overhead and dreams of a faraway place A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home.”

James Michener

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”

Orson Welles

“There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.”

Spanish Proverb

“Two great talkers will not travel far together.”

Sir Vivian Fuchs

“If you actually look like your passport photo, you
aren’t well enough to travel.”

Most Amusing Travel Quotes

July 10, 2010 By Zahir

Still hot on my quote trail, here are the most amusing ones that I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I have. Funny how the truth can tickle.

Robert Benchley
“In America there are two classes of travel – first class, and with children.”
Terry Hanson
“Now I know why they tell you to put your head between your knees on crash landings. You think you’re going to kiss your ass good-bye.”

Mignon McLaughlin
“Whenever we safely land in a plane, we promise God a little something.”

Carl Burns
“A child on a farm sees a plane fly by overhead and
dreams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home”


James Michener

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”

Orson Welles
“There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.”

Spanish Proverb
“Two great talkers will not travel far together.”
And my personal favourite:

Sir Vivian Fuchs
“If you actually look like your passport photo, you
aren’t well enough to travel”

Toilet Humor

August 9, 2007 By Camica

When I was a kid and we went on a trip, whether it was long or short, or even just a trip to the mall, my mom never failed to remind us kids to “Go to the bathroom before we leave!” It was a piece of motherly wisdom that I now impart to my own kids. Unfortunately, my kids seem to have an unhealthy fascination with other toilets, they never fail to scream for the bathroom even if we’re just going around the block. So, like a good general, I learned the Art of Reconnaissance. Planning a trip is never complete without finding out about the area’s restrooms first.

So, imagine my delight when I found out about the book Toilets of the World, by Morna E. Gregory & Sian James. This travel book boasts of great pictures and invaluable, sometimes humorous, information. It also has good insights on the different cultures around the world. It’s a must-read for travelers or would-be travelers.

Speaking of toilet humor, another recommendation is a visit to this site. It’s a site that posts funny pictures of unusual toilets around the world. Some of my favorite pics:

for music lovers
src=”http://cybour.50webs.com/images/t6.jpg” alt=”Talk about shared bathrooms!” /> For those who like getting comfy Pretty in Pink?

Eric Newby, The Original Travelogger

October 21, 2006 By Zahir

Eric Newby, the thinking man’s travel writer and perhaps one of the best of the 20th century had died at the age of 86. The British writer was known for his keen eye for detail and entertaining style of writing about his travels around the world, the most famous of which was “A Short Walk in The Hindu Kush“.

Prior to writing the 1958 classic in which he recounts his thrilling and funny journey while climbing Mir Samir in Afghatistan, Newby was in the fashion industry, with nearly no experience in mountaineering when set off on his Hindu Kush adventure.

Born and raised in Hammersmith, London, Newby’s first adventure in travel was in 1938 when he gave up his job in advertising to set sail from Australia on the Finnish grain ship Moshulu by way of Cape Horn . He later told the story of this voyage in his book entitled “The Last Grain Race”.

Serving as London newspaper, The Observer‘s, travel editor from 1963 to 1973, Newby often travelled with his wife Wanda, whom he met right after a daring escape in Slovenia during the war. His memoir, “Love and War in the Appenines” recounts this romantic travellers tale.

For aspiring travel writers everywhere, Eric Newby was one of the finest and will always be remembered.

This is from his obituary in the Guardian:

“….Few travel writers have left behind them such a blaze of fun and evocation, stimulants that affect a reader’s imagination like an electric charge. It is very sad indeed that we shall never again see that ubiquitous trilby perched with the precision of a lightning conductor above that handsome, weatherbeaten face, or hear once more the heart-warming chuckle.”

[tags]Eric Newby,travel writer,travel writing,observer,world war 2,appenines[/tags]

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