But the cheap traveler inside me outranked the green one, and I thought, “Good, maybe that means they’ll stop thinking up ridiculous new fees.” At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if American Airlines announced they’d start charging me $5 to carry on my Klean Kanteen and trail mix.

photo credit: mccun934

Ads are everywhere else in the U.S. — on the sides of highways, on buses, in bathroom stalls. Can adding them to boarding passes really have a significant negative impact?

I’m thinking no. If anything, the result will be a positive one — the airlines will generate more revenue this way, and have to rely less on luggage fees and hiking ticket prices. Plus, travelers will have the option of printing their boarding passes without ads.

What do you think?

via: Daily Travel Deal Blog

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

The book is captivating, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hilarious. Gilbert’s style is casual in tone and it’s a comfortable and fun read.

Eat, Pray, Love is the type of book that contains so many anecdotes that any reader - especially travelers - will find a way to relate on some level.

Instead of walking you through the plot of the book, I’ve compiled some quotes that will give you a glimpse into Eat, Pray, Love:

“Some time after I’d left my husband, I was at a party and a guy I barely knew said to me, ‘You know you seem like a completely different person, now that you’re with this new boyfriend. You used to look like your husband, but now you look like David [her new boyfriend]. You even dress like him and talk like him. You know how some people look like their dogs? I think maybe you always look like your men.’”

“Like most humanoids, I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the ‘monkey mind’– the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit, and howl. From the distant past to the unknowable future, my mind swings wildly through time, touching on dozens of ideas a minute, unharnessed and undisciplined.”

“‘Forget about sightseeing–you got the rest of our life for that. You’re on a spiritual journey, baby. Don’t cop out and only go halfway to your potential.’
‘But what about all those beautiful things to see in India?’ I ask ‘Isn’t it kind of a pity to travel halfway around the world just to stay in a little Ashram the whole time?’
‘Groceries, baby, listen to your friend Richard. You go set your lily-white ass down in the mediation cave every day for the next three months and I promise you this- you’re gonna start seeing some stuff that’s so damn beautiful it’ll make you want to throw rocks at Taj Mahal.’”

“The former Catholic nun who oughtta know about guilt, after all wouldn’t hear of it. ‘Guilt’s just your ego’s way of tricking you into thinking that you’re making moral progress.’”

“‘You don’t want to go cherry-picking a religion’ [a friend tells Gilbert]
Which is a sentiment I completely respect except for the fact that I totally disagree. I think you have every right to cherry-pick when it comes to moving your spirit and finding peace in God. I think you are free to search for any metaphor whatsoever which will take you across the worldly divide whenever you need to be transported or comforted… That’s me in the corner, in other words. That’s me in the spotlight. Choosing my religion.”

On the expatriate society in Bali: “Everywhere in this town you see the same kind of character–westerners who have been so ill-treated and badly worn by life that they’ve dropped the whole struggle and decided camp out here in Bali indefinitely, where you can live in a gorgeous house for $200 a month, perhaps taking a young Balinese man or woman as a companion, where they can drink before noon without getting any static about it, where they can make a bit of money exporting a bit of furniture for somebody. But generally, all they are doing here is seeing to it that nothing serious will ever be asked of them again. These are not bums, mind you. This is a very high grade of people, multinational, talented and clever. But it seems to me that everyone I meet here used to be something once (generally “married” or “employed”); now they are all united by the absence of the one thing they seem to have surrendered completely and forever: ambition. Needless to say, there’s a lot of drinking.”

I borrowed Eat, Pray, Love from the library, but I think I will buy a (used) copy; it’s the type of book I could read over and over again. Plus it highlights the benefits of slow travel.

I highly recommend Eat, Pray, Love as an inspiring book that will make you want to pack up your bags and leave tomorrow.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Also, follow us on Twitter where we’ll post other press opportunities.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Looking for an eco-friendly bug spray? Allie’s Answers has the skinny.

Vagabonding reports on new UNESCO World Heritage sites in countries like Yemen, Iran, and Papua New Guinea.

Thought about taking an eco-tour of the Middle East? Huffington Post has you covered.

The Telegraph reports George Bush’s parting words at the G8 Summit: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”

Intelligent Travel has tips on getting ready for a round-the-world trip.

Matador Goods takes a look at 10 brands that don’t deserve to call themselves green.

Green Workday launches, asking if it’s really necessary to commute to the office every day, and if flying or driving across the country and globe is the only way to conduct a meeting.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Photo credit: AP

Read the full story on MSN. Ever since I lived in Krasnodar and St. Petersburg, there’s a special place in my heart for Russia. This just makes me love it more.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Crabs at a seafood market in Chinatwon, New York City, NY

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

I’m a huge foodie.

And I don’t mean the type that appreciates a nice meal because the food is expensive. I mean the kind who’s constantly driven to seek out local restaurants to savor their delectable, authentic cuisine.

An Italian grocery store I stumbled upon 2 weekends ago changed my life. But I’m torn. As much as I want to spread the word about this unique local business, a tiny (elitist?) part of me believes only hardcore, dedicated foodies deserve to experience it. So let’s make a deal. If you fall into that category, keep reading. If not, here’s a funny video featuring Matt of Where the Hell is Matt? dancing his way across the world.

the spoils of my trip

I was greeted by $3 bottles of wine and, when I ventured further, hundreds of bottles of olive oil from around the world. Then I found the homemade pasta and pasta sauces, the fresh cheeses and olives, and - even though I’m a vegetarian - the assortment of deli meats. I was in heaven.

I started grabbing everything that looked good (so just about everything in the store) - pesto, fresh-baked cookies, organic pasta, bottles of wine. By the end of our 20 minute trip, Elizabeth was forcing me to pick my favorites, then sending me to restock the shelves with my rejected spoils.

Ah, well. I guess she had a point about the canned stuffed grape leaves; they probably wouldn’t have been the best investment. But I did manage to get away with some real winners: homemade vodka sauce, couscous, white clam sauce, pesto, two bottles of wine, and two cheeses. All for under $45.

So far, the vodka sauce is far and away my favorite; its creamy, cheesy, tomato-y goodness was amazing on our homemade pasta. I think it might have meat in it, but I find it hard to care. The parrano cheese was also delicious. A gouda-parmesan combination, it makes a rich cream sauce or simple sandwich.

But if you’re uncomfortable walking down sketchy-feeling alleys, you might want to skip this trip, because that’s exactly what the storefront faces. It’s a hidden gem among loading docks, rotting food odors, and reckless drivers. Inside, though, is the closest I’ve come to a New York-style deli in DC. It’s a bit crowded, but the people are friendly and there’s a real sense of community, which is hard to come by in this wonky, career-obsessed city.

So where is this haven, this heaven of Italian goodness? It’s A. Litteri, Inc. in Northeast DC.

And remember, just don’t spread the word too far. Too much recognition might ruin it.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

I can’t help but wonder: Is Kindle a good option for green travelers?

Here are the positives:
It’s lightweight = fewer books = less weight = less energy required to transport

Thousands and thousands of books aren’t printed = fewer trees cut down

But the negatives:
It’s an electronic = energy required to produce

It’s an electronic = energy required to use

It’s an electronic = when it dies it ends up leaching chemicals and taking up space in a landfill

Books can be reused over and over (I get most of my books from the library or used book store).

When they are thrown out they decompose, but when a Kindle dies? I think of the picture Kimberly found for her 31 Reason to Travel Travel: In Pictures post.

photo credit: art_es_anna

What do you think? Does the Kindle make sense as an environmentally sound option?

My gut tells me no.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Is it just me, or does this sounds like an awful idea? Apparently the algae covers 1/3 of the sea. I’m not an expert on ecosystems, but it seems like the algae is there for a reason. So Chinese officials are carting it off and killing it for the Olympics - but what happens when the competition is over? What about all of the fish and other sea creatures that presumably feed on the algae?

photo credit: jurvetson

Some say it could be caused by pollution, but even if that’s the case, removing it all at once seems like a drastic measure that could shock the creatures that have learned to live with it.

The article didn’t mention any potential ecosystem damage, which seems to me like a huge oversight. It just seems so… selfish and wreckless for people to uproot an entire plant species without thinking about how it will affect the ecosystem and, ultimately, their own food sources.

Originally posted at Go Green Travel Green