Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 4:24 PM by Lonely Planet
Covering the 2007 national elections in Australia as an American journalist I found the affair to be generally civilised, consisting of measured debate, deep, dry policy scrutiny and only a vague sense of political backbiting.
I certainly never wrote "Band kicks ass" in my reporter's notepad.
But that's the sort of thing you scribble when watching the American elections live, and guess what travellers? You too can witness our ridiculous leader-of-the-free-world selecting system at this very moment! C'mon; the dollar is weak and you only get one presidential election every four years.
Here's what a South Carolina rally for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was like. The opening act was rock stars Lucas War Hero - yeah, I'd never heard of them either, but isn't that a great band name? Makes you want to scream LUCAS WAR HERO! and throw a mini-fridge out of a hotel window - on stage with Ric freaking Flair, 16-time professional wrestling world champion. Chuck Norris (uh, yeah, Chuck Norris) was supposed to be there, but he got held up. Anyways, the crowd heart-ed Huckabee and the whole show, and I'm not ashamed to admit I did too.
This is why American elections are so fun. Other systems are analytical, less-money obsessed and short on spectacle, and they're bloody boring. As a traveller and journalist I've yet to see other Western elections illicit the full-throated passion I witnessed in South Carolina. Sure, we elect morons. But the Australian election system is the most dignified one I've yet seen, and voters there kept John Howard in office for 11 years. If it's gotta be a moron, at least make it a colorful one. Come see us pick our next moron while you can.
- Adam Karlin
Labels: Festivals and events, The Americas, Travelsnitch
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Posted Monday, January 28, 2008, 1:56 PM by Lonely Planet
Thinking of heading to China for the Olympics but concerned you'll only manage to bag tickets to the synchronised swimming or handball competitions? Well never fear as a report from Xinhua News says 75% of Beijing Olympic tickets remain unsold.
A total of 1.8 million tickets to the sports events of the August 8-24 Games went on sale in December. Although the Beijing Olympics Organising Committee (BOCOG) hasn't given a reason for the glut of unsold tickets Chinese media is reporting that it might have to do with some key events popular with the Chinese population being extremely over-subscribed while the rest had fewer bookings.
Labels: "Festivals and events", Asia and Pacific, Breaking travel news
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Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 7:46 PM by Lonely Planet
It's not every day you see a travel warning issued for Italy. There's always the risk you could overeat, overlook the alchohol content of limoncello, or overspend (why did they have to replace lire with the euro?). But in all seriousness what could be so dangerous about Italy?
Naples, known for Napoli sauce and Neapolitan ice-cream is having a rubbish disposal crisis - and not for the first time. Described as "raucous, polluted, anarchic, deafening and crumbling" on a good day, Naples has started 2008 drowning in a sea of rubbish as curb side collections are cancelled and dumps pronounced full.
Although planning is underway for purpose built incinerators, residents have taken matters into their own hands setting pile after pile alight. Hardly life-threatening for short-term travellers, but on the nose all the same.
Labels: Europe, Travelsnitch
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Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008, 4:54 PM by Lonely Planet
Every Sunday here in Arusha, someone, somewhere celebrates their Ubarikio, or first communion. Parties that at first appear to be a wedding reception, on closer inspection reveal no bride and groom, rather one very happy looking kid.
This week a family we know held an Ubarikio party for their son Peter and we were invited. We had front row seats in their hot and very crowded living room and in typical tourist-style we just sat there like dummies smiling at our hosts. I had my first mbege - a home-brew drink made from bananas and think I'll be sticking to beer in future.
During lunch my arm was being stroked by a young girl who was saying:
"aaaa, paka, paka".
"What's 'paka' mean?" I asked Kelsey.
It turns out it means cat. She was stroking my hairy arm and calling it a cat. Why the cheek of it all!
To escape the stifling heat (they just don't like open windows or doors in Arusha) we went outside, only to be followed by all the kids who decided it was playtime - lucky because our present for Peter was a true-blue, you-beaut, Aussie boomerang.
How much fun can you have in one day?
- By day he's a Lonely Planet web producer but by night Ben Schwabe is the volunteer IT manager for foodwatershelter, an Australian NGO that builds eco-friendly children's villages with education, social and health facilities in developing countries. He's been working on the ground as part of the Kesho Crew in Tanzania. Stay tuned for his next update.
Labels: Africa, Volunteer
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Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008, 9:08 PM by Lonely Planet
The eyes of the world are now on the northern British city of Liverpool. A crowd of over 30,000 people gathered last weekend outside the city's stately St George's Hall, despite chilly January temperatures, to witness the opening ceremony - featuring prodigal son Ringo Starr in a rooftop gig - that inaugurated Liverpool's reign as the European Capital of Culture.
With 350 formal events, 70 per cent of which are free, the cultural programme aims to boost the city's international standing after years of negative publicity and urban decay. Highlights for the year include Gustav Klimt at Tate Liverpool from May 30 to August 1; and the Liverpool Sound concert on June 1, featuring Sir Paul McCartney.
Liverpool has also undergone a major structural facelift since winning the UK nomination for Capital of Culture in 2003 with around 4.5 billion GBP subsequently pumped into the city's infrastructure.
But, while headline-grabbing events and a slew of new chic boutique hotel openings across the city are expected to boost the city's tourism by over 2m visitors a year, locals maintain that the birthplace of the Beatles is finally getting the credit it always deserved as a hub for creative talent.
"The European Capital of Culture is all about reminding the world that Liverpool is doing now what it has always done and will continue to do as a vibrant cultural city," proclaimed Deputy Chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, Phil Redmond as the opening fireworks lit up the night sky.
The crowd roared their approval. Liverpool hasn't looked so confident since a certain Fab Four first put the city on the map some 40 years ago.
- David Atkinson is a travel writer and Lonely Planet author based in England's Northwest;
Labels: Europe, Festivals and events
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Anyone travelling to or from London's Heathrow Airport would do well to check the status of their flight following Thursday's dramatic emergency landing of a British Airways Boeing 777.
It's unclear what the cause of the incident was at this early stage but it seems that the pilot who got the plane down after some kind of power or equipment failure performed heroics to get the plane onto the ground in one piece. There were no fatalities among the 136 passengers - and only a handful suffered minor injuries. The plane is still lying where it came to rest at the end of Heathrow's south runway and some short-haul flights out of Terminal 4 have been cancelled.
This incident happens in a month where figures released for 2007, suggesting that flying is safer than it's ever been, apart from in a handful of countries where planes are old and maintenance standards remain poor. Getting on a plane remains by far the safest way to travel. The passengers on board BA038 from Beijing to London will testify that pilot skill, plus well-built aircraft are ensuring things stay that way.
- Tom Hall
Labels: "Europe", Airports, Breaking travel news, Europe
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Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 5:00 PM by Lonely Planet
From a remote location, the humble postcard will travel by many modes of transport before taking off - par avion, for its final destination.
The global postal network is something to be respected; that you can glue a malfunctioning stamp to a small, flimsy piece of cardboard in a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, have it survive monsoonal rain, mountain tracks, a bus-journey on partially paved roads and an administratively chaotic Indian airport and arrive safely in a sea-side Sydney suburb is nothing short of amazing.
Last week we polled travellers on whether they send postcards and it seems the old-school ritual is well and truly alive with 68% responding yes.
And it's no wonder - from scouring stand after stand of bland images at some of the world's best known landmarks, to persistent roadside salespersons at the lesser ones - what's not to love. Some of the best buildings in the world house a city's GPO; and seeking out hut-like structures in obscure villages will take you down paths you might not otherwise walk.
If there's anything better than sending a postcard, it's receiving one. What it's not a bill!!! I have an incredible collection of tacky memories from my friends' travels. In the last six months I've received missives from the USA, Colombo, Seoul and Paris.
What about you?
Labels: Travelsnitch
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Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 4:19 PM by Lonely Planet
Today the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, will open the first session of his new parliament as the country waits nervously for the aftermath. The opposition party has planned three days of protests starting tomorrow in major country-wide centres such as Nairobi and Kisumu. The last protest was broken up by police with water guns before it really started, but if these go ahead it's unlikely they'll be peaceful.
On the weekend I was talking to Mary, a nurse at Nairobi hospital, who shook her head and said she wanted the politicians to sort themselves out so that everything could just get back to normal. If the rallies go ahead, I asked her, will you be busy at work? "If the rallies go ahead", she replied, "I won't be able to get to work".
And this is the plight of most Kenyans. Yes, they want justice and they are angry about what has happened. But now that it has happened they just want to get on with their lives. Most people just want peace.
Schools started back yesterday and all around Nairobi people are cursing the traffic as usual on their way to work. The atmosphere is strangely resilient as people refuse to be swayed from their daily lives, but the trepidation of the next few days is hanging over us all like an invisible mist.
The tension that has been simmering away under the surface for years is close to bubbling over. There is the sense that this week will be the turning point. But also the sense that things could get worse before they get better. And while the politicians talk about "justice" and "democracy" a nation just struggles to get to work on a Tuesday morning.
- Jeanette Elsworth
Labels: Africa, Breaking travel news
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Posted Monday, January 14, 2008, 7:20 PM by Lonely Planet
Every kid knows beans give you gas. The gag's been around forever, yet now flying, not flatulence might be its ultimate result.
Much has been made of the new and far more environmentally friendly 'space race' with Virgin and Air New Zealand vying for the first bio-fuelled flight.
Already you can bicycle around Vietnam, ride an electric scooter in Italy, flag down a Tuk-Tuk with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine in Thailand (far more fuel efficient than its two-stroke forebear), try horseback in Egypt or, hoof it by foot in the Himalaya; travel's not all bad. But flights remain the bogey of the industry; an enormous contributor to carbon emissions, pressure is on to clean up the skies.
Soybeans, algae, rapeseed and palm oil have all been cited as potential sources for bio-fuel in the future, but as they require harvesting on a grand scale, debate is alive whether its production is any more energy efficient.
Researchers, eccentrics and hobbyists have tried for years to develop a suitable concoction from recycled oils, animal and vegetable fats, but their side-effects are often caustic. Given we won't be refuelling at the chippy any time soon, guilt-free flying still seems some way off.
In the mean-time there are some measures that are worth investigating. For more information see our section on Sustainable and Responsible travel. Or if you've got some good suggestions, post them here.
Labels: Breaking travel news, Sustainable and responsible tourism, Travelsnitch
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Posted Wednesday, January 09, 2008, 4:44 PM by Lonely Planet
Another year, another list and the latest top ten going around is of the world's most endangered locations. The website Askmen.com has compiled a list of sites which are at risk due to environmental causes, over-tourism and conflict.
The list covers everything from the Panama Canal to Iraq's Babylon:
1. Dampier Rock Art Complex in Murujuga, Australia
2. Sonargaon-Panam City, Bangladesh
3. Chinguetti Mosque, Mauritania, West Africa
4. Panama Canal, Panama City, Chagres River
5. Dhangkar Gompa, Himachal Pradesh, India
6. Old Damascus, Syria
7. Babylon, Iraq
8. Leh Old Town, Ladakh, India
9. The Coral Triangle, Sulu and Sulawesi Seas
10. Greenland
Do these men really know what they're talking about?
Lonely Planet has highlighted the destruction of the Jaisalmer Fort in India as one of the world's most endangered sites but it doesn't seem to have made the grade.
Can you see anything else missing?
Labels: Travelsnitch
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Posted Monday, January 07, 2008, 4:55 PM by Lonely Planet
Squeezing through one of Chandni Chowk's many shoe shops, then up the narrow, wooden staircase to The New Gramophone House, hungry, vinyl music hounds will be met with the most delightful surprise.
The holy grail of Indian LPs, first opened in 1930. The shop is not big, but is crammed wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling, with musical gems from an all but forgotten era.
There are over 1000 records, covering all national languages and Indian musical genres (including an enormous Hindi Films section, of course). There are also some English and International records. Additionally, the shop sells and repairs old record players and even gramophones. Album prices range between 30rps to more than 1000rps for rarities from the archive.
Chandni Chowk is described in the Lonely Planet guide as 'pure pandemonium' so to help you locate The New Gramophone House, here is the detailed address as published on their website:
Shop no. 31B
Pleasure Garden Market
opposite Moti Cinema
near Gauri Shanker Mandir
Main Road , Chandni Chowk
Delhi, India
- Morgan Harrington
Labels: Asia and Pacific, Been there done that, Travelsnitch
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Posted Sunday, January 06, 2008, 2:25 PM by Lonely Planet
From a veranda overlooking the serene Indian Ocean, watching children playing football on the beach, it's hard to believe that in other parts of Kenya people are being killed. In one week the country has changed from a place of hope and excitement over a close general election, to one of tension and anxiety in the confusion surrounding vote-rigging allegations and hurried results. Reports of travellers being stranded are dominating international media and images of violence portray a picture of a country on the brink of civil war.
But these images can be misleading. Kilifi is 60km from Mombasa and 500km from Nairobi and from here I could be forgiven for not knowing what is going on at all. Driving along the coast today it was clear that for most Kenyans it is business as usual. The woman I bumped into in the supermarket yesterday didn't even know there was a rally planned in Nairobi and was just happy to find the shelves filled with food again after the shortages of the last few days.
Many people will have cancelled travel plans to Kenya over the next few weeks but travellers already in the country are in no direct danger in the main tourist and residential areas. The violence being shown on television reports is isolated to areas off Kenya's well-beaten tourist track; even those in Nairobi itself, such as Mathare which is a slum area, are best-avoided at any time. Tour companies have been advised not to move around which may cause disruptions but flights are still leaving Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the main roads into the capital are clear.
The worrying concern is how this can be resolved. In the aftermath of a failed election questions are being asked about one of Africa's more successful democracies. While the two main party leaders refuse to speak to each other the frustration continues and a country's reputation is destroyed in a six-minute news report. For an economy that depends as heavily on tourism as Kenya does it is disastrous. And the only losers are Kenyans themselves. One thing is certain; when things have returned to normal they will need travellers to continue to consider Kenya as a rewarding place to visit as it truly is.
- Jeanette Elsworth
Labels: Africa, Breaking travel news
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Posted Wednesday, January 02, 2008, 8:29 PM by Lonely Planet
Then you should try Tanzania. Time consuming and convoluted comes to mind when I recall my experience...
We had already applied to open the account earlier in the week. Today it was my job to simply deposit some money into the two foodwatershelter bank accounts. Sounds like a simple 15-20 minute job yeah? Oh no. I had to sit and watch while the bank clerk manually copied all 12 forms that six of us had painstakingly completed earlier in the week.
The problem? After picking up the application forms, but before the accounts were opened, the bank had issued new forms, making the old ones redundant! Grrr. Three hours later I was given two account numbers, deposited the cash and went home with a stack of forms for all of us to re-sign and send back.
My next task was to shop around for a wireless router so that all the foodwatershelter members here can use their computers at the same time. I just cannot escape my IT urges and thankfully (surprisingly) there are a number of computer shops in Arusha.
I ran into Caroline from African Peace Ambassadors in town and after a brief chat it seems they may be able to help foodwatershelter with HIV/AIDS medication and awareness education.
Volunteering will teach you invaluable skills like networking, so on a roll, I went to the airport to see what kind of job opportunities there might be for a newly licensed pilot (me). Who knows, I might just be able to get a flying gig here late in 2008.
- Perhaps Ben Schwabe, Lonely Planet Web Producer and foodwatershelter recruit, won't be back after all? Ben is volunteering in Tanzania for the Australian NGO, building an eco-friendly children's village with education, social and health facilities. You can read more in his series here.
Labels: Africa, Sustainable and responsible tourism, Volunteer
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Posted Tuesday, January 01, 2008, 3:09 PM by Lonely Planet
What do you know about metal works and composting loos? I'm glad there wasn't a formal interview that included this question - or I mightn't have made it to Tanzania.
This week's lesson started with a visit to Babu, the metal fundi (engineer). He's making the doors, window grills and other metal-bits for our volunteer huts. I went to pick up the scaffolding frames we asked him to make, but the paint wasn't dry so I came back empty handed. No worries, there's no hurry in Africa (another thing I've had to learn).
My next job was to help Darren, our building foreman, cut and assemble the timber for our new shower block. I say shower block, but technically it's a bucket-bath-block as water is pretty scarce here at the moment. The town's water is only on for a few hours a day - if we're lucky. We really need to get some rainwater tanks installed ASAP.
Another day another task - this time it was marking out the slab for the walls of our composting toilets. It's great to know that the walls I've helped align will contain heaps of poop, which within 6 months will turn into odour free compost that's safe to use on the fruit trees - fantastic!
I'd be keen to know what crazy things fellow volunteers have learnt in the field...
Sound better than working in web design? Ben Schwabe is a resident Web Producer at Lonely Planet, but he's absconded to Tanzania where he's moonlighting as a volunteer for foodwatershelter, an Australian NGO that builds eco-friendly children's villages with education, social and health facilities in developing countries. For six weeks he will be working on the ground as part of the Kesho Crew in Tanzania. Stay tuned for his next update.
Labels: Africa, Sustainable and responsible tourism, Volunteer
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