Feed Editor 5 Oct 2006 19:56:09 GMT Alternative Travel, Around the World travel, Nude Beaches, Destination Guides, Travel Articles on GoNOMAD.com http://www.gonomad.com/index.html en-us http://www.gonomad.com/images/gonomad-logo-travel-guide.gif Train'Shares Inc is offering guests the same luxury travel and private rail cars that used to be reserved for only the wealthiest of Americans. The trains will begin running in 2010. Barry Jones from Time Shares Inc. explains that this is to “ensure that full occupancy occurs, keeping in mind that the relatively long average lead time between when a Journey passenger makes a reservation and the departure date, is over eight months.” The trips aren’t cheap, but they are a serious throwback to the grand old days of railroad travel. You'll feel like a robber baron in your own private car! 2 Jul 2009 21:21:31 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/DqDZNIKVsOk/trainshares.html 9E17F4E9-215C-410D-A9C6-4247F03053AA http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0906/trainshares.html Chres Village School and Orphanage had clean rooms, kind staff, and a patient, diligent director named Phat Fiphon. The orphanage was started by his father and relies mostly on donations, volunteers, and sponsors. When we arrived, approximately 40 children lived at the orphanage with more coming from other homes to attend the free classes offered in English, Chinese, Khmer, science, and geography. When the orphanage tour ended, Nicole and I offered to teach English classes, which Phat (or “Fi”) enthusiastically accepted. Nicole taught the older kids, who ranged from eighteen to early twenties. I led a class of about forty adolescents, approximately nine to eighteen years old. 2 Jul 2009 21:19:59 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/pgGTQV1yoCo/cambodia-teaching.html 92B30D3F-A5E0-40B6-BCA9-A00318491175 http://www.gonomad.com/helps/0906/cambodia-teaching.html Soon we were moving in the Mukki region of the Kanha National Park. The first thing we spotted were colorful jungle fowls but they are very shy creatures and I could never get a good picture of them. The jungle is famous for its Sal and Bamboo trees. Alger showed me around with such enthusiasm that I am thinking of dragging my family to a national park in the future. I saw Gaurs (resembles a bison), cheetals (a type of deer), peacocks and even wild boars but there was no sign of the elusive tiger. At one particular road Alger and the park ranger got quite excited as they saw the pug marks of a tiger and they tried to track it. 2 Jul 2009 21:18:32 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/RuQ7cN3ntWQ/india-kanha.html DD58A7DD-2368-410B-93D9-B3940FC7D324 http://www.gonomad.com/lodgings/0906/india-kanha.html Archaeologically-minded visitors to Crete flock to the famous palaces of Knossos, Phaistos and Kato Zakro, and why shouldn't they? Ancient palaces, mysterious bull-riding rites and bright frescoes fascinate even the most historically uninspired traveler. But Phourni – arguably the most important archaeological site on Crete – lies ignored at the summit of a hill overlooking the Archanes township. 2 Jul 2009 21:17:44 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/C7CR1zllmLQ/crete-cemetery.html 42E470A4-8765-4931-9B40-AC13466A961D http://www.gonomad.com/features/0906/crete-cemetery.html The mini-bus, packed with passengers, slowed and then stopped. Ahead, barely visible through the dirty windshield and the February mist, was something that shouldn't have been there: a border crossing. There shouldn’t have been a border crossing because there shouldn’t have been a border. As far as mapmakers and world governments were concerned, we were still in Moldova, an Eastern European country wedged between Romania and Ukraine. The guys up there, though, the guys with the guns, they didn't agree. Back in America, when I let people know I was going to Transnistria, the collective response was: “where?” And the reason they had never heard of it was because Transnistria, despite having its own constitution, army and currency, isn’t recognized by any other sovereign nation and technically doesn’t exist. 2 Jul 2009 21:10:35 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Der7-fPqyiI/transnistria.html 5F540957-7655-43A0-B1E4-B13C14EC96D3 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/transnistria.html About an hour after leaving Acapulco, Mexico’s number one resort, our van was parked in front of the Museum of the Tehuacalco Archaeological Zone - only recently opened to visitors. Located a short distance from the state of Guerrero’s capital city of Chilpancingo, Tehuacalco peaked between 650 and 1100 A.D. as the ceremonial center of the Yope and their surrounding region. It existed for more than two more centuries albeit in a declining cycle. Long lost to the South Sierra Madre Mountains of southern Mexico this pre-Columbian archaeological zone is the most recent addition to the cultural attractions offered to visitors in Acapulco. 25 Jun 2009 17:50:32 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/EQjsF-c5nJo/mexico-tehuacalco.html 62C12C31-3BDC-4865-8A64-3D27CF79322D http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/mexico-tehuacalco.html What is lying just down the road from where you live? What unexplored places are just a few gallons of gas away but you’ve never set foot in them? For me the main one has been Huntsville, Alabama, a nearby enigma on my personal map. It’s my daughter’s spring break, though, and I’ve got the itch to explore. The three of us pack up the car with only vague ideas of what we’ll be doing there, but we have four days to figure it out. Huntsville’s marquee draw is the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. It took a lot of coordinated NASA brainpower to land a spacecraft on the moon and the blast-off part of the process was developed in this city. 25 Jun 2009 17:49:47 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/7ZAt-tsIuxE/alabama-huntsville.html 9F4E97D1-1126-487A-A628-2258DD4712A8 http://www.gonomad.com/family/0906/alabama-huntsville.html Some days blend into one another, but the five days we spent on safari in South Africa remain vivid and indelible. When we came to Africa, we lived at the Kapama Lodge, within the private game preserve that borders Kruger National Park. The wake-up call came every morning at 5:00 AM, and we arose in the dark. By 5:30, we were being served coffee on the veranda, looking across the lagoon at first light on the horizon. As we climbed into the large, open four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser for our morning safari, the sun was just coming up. 25 Jun 2009 17:48:56 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/A71CacdCMTU/south-africa-kapama-lodge.html B7C28549-3A55-4B88-BEBF-C6B484A7B0D7 http://www.gonomad.com/lodgings/0906/south-africa-kapama-lodge.html I suggest money not be wasted going to Turkmenistan, though the country is an admitted hoot. With the mandatory guide any visit is expensive, requiring private transportation over the boring desert, and nothing of interest to see; it’s easier and less expensive, for most, to simply visit Las Vegas. But for those who must visit every last weird country on earth, such as myself, Lufthansa and Turkmenistan Air fly to Ashgabat from Europe and the Middle East, expensively... Turkmenistan also has a reputation for ptomaine and unsanitary food preparation. But enjoy. 25 Jun 2009 17:47:33 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/B4Fi7lHaqQE/turkmenistan.html 89991FAB-0977-43BF-9AC8-96C7F92DA028 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/turkmenistan.html The Tibetan plateau averages more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. It boasts the highest peaks in the world. The culture is fascinating. Ever since I first learned about Tibet as a child, I wanted to go there. So, when Jon and I found ourselves cycling through China, it was only the next step to enter Tibet. We took the new Quinhai-Tibet railway, which had opened only a few months before, in the summer of 2007. This railway was both a blessing and a curse: it allowed us easy access into Tibet, but with increased Western tourism, Chinese immigration and trading, many fear it will bring fast change to a dwindling Tibetan culture. 18 Jun 2009 19:48:44 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/mcBhYy4tOYI/tibet-descent.html 8A64B714-0866-4133-AD14-49082A4BBFAB http://www.gonomad.com/bicycle-tours/0906/tibet-descent.html Paraty Bay, one of the most beautiful places on the Brazilian coastline,is often referred to as part of the "Green" coast, but "Emerald" Coast best describes the sparkling translucence of the bay reflecting the lush verdant jungle on the shore. Islands, one for every day of the year, dot the warm waters. The beaches on them are all public. Getting to them is easy, too. Boats are available for hire on the wharf at Paraty. The different boat styles and colors offer a great opportunity for photographs in the morning light. 18 Jun 2009 19:48:03 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/fAdjpPrxhSM/brazil-emerald-coast.html 0DCBE91A-F09E-453D-B6E8-8EBB3D8E74EE http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/brazil-emerald-coast.html When we think of New Haven, the first thing that comes to our mind is Yale University. Rightfully called “the most beautiful urban campus in America,” the architectural style of its courtyards, arches and towers range from New England Colonial to High Victorian Gothic, from Moorish Revival to Contemporary. Walking by the majestic buildings I felt close to its glorious past and its present-day quest for knowledge. Guiding generations of bright young minds, the buildings of this Ivy League university stand tall and proud. 18 Jun 2009 18:25:21 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Wp4UCWaU4Zs/connecticut-new-haven.html 74B1CA95-E296-40BA-9E71-6670599679CB http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/connecticut-new-haven.html We had entered into the simple lives of the villagers in Bomang’ombe, and the hearts of children hopeful about their bright future. Within the few months of teaching in Bomani Primary School, I bonded closely with Naomi, a fellow teacher and a real friend whom I could confide in and be myself. Her husband Deo showed us many sides of Tanzania, even a thing or two about drinking beer in Tanzania (he sure could drink!). We shared travel tales with them, while they told us about their childhood and families. 18 Jun 2009 18:24:33 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/lTsnQZQiamk/tanzania-bomangombe.html F20F138C-6CDF-4041-ADD7-1BE0274E39C6 http://www.gonomad.com/helps/0906/tanzania-bomangombe.html One innovative tour company is combining the small-group, women-only format with theme-based tours that explore the history of a destination. The tours focus on notable women of history, who have often been neglected by historians until recent years. These tours also provide an opportunity for women to retrace their roots and visit their families' ancestral homelands. Eurynome Journeys of Camden, Maine, has been a pioneer in the area of women-only travel since 1998, when founder Erja Lipponen started her website www.wanderwoman.com. 18 Jun 2009 18:23:14 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/fLDt7yZl01U/eurynome-journeys.html E96F8C62-2ECD-4F56-9AC8-074EAA1D4D3E http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0905/eurynome-journeys.html There is something gritty about the isle of Bonaire. I feel it the minute I set foot on the ground. I also taste it. It may be the dry, scrubby terrain. Or maybe it is the thick, salty air. Perhaps, it is a little bit of both. Each year, tourists flock to Bonaire, fifty miles north of Venezuela, with snorkels and flippers in tow. Part of the Netherlands Antilles, it boasts one of the most environmentally renowned Marine Parks in the world, claiming over 300 species of tropical fish and over 120 different types of coral. 11 Jun 2009 20:43:57 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/fXxQ_AMcFdU/bonaire.html 660DF454-4A0D-435C-98B0-64472144DD88 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0906/bonaire.html McLeod Ganj near Dharamshala is a popular tourist spot as it is the seat of the Dalai Lama in exile from Tibet. In a restaurant we overheard a tourist asking a waiter how she could get an audience with the Dalai Lama. We had other ideas. We were there to trek from McLeod Ganj through Indrahar Pass and wanted to exit in another town, Chamba. But the weather had other ideas about our trek. 11 Jun 2009 20:42:48 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/PDDdwMAzBas/india-mcleod-ganj-triund.html 30FF9584-FFD5-4241-887C-15EC1A1A5ABA http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0906/india-mcleod-ganj-triund.html Freighter voyages are not for the ordinary traveler; they are for people who want to escape from the norms of planned, routine travel and step into the world of unpredictable adventure. Flying is for people who would like to get somewhere quickly. Freighter travel is for people who would like to slow life down a few notches and enjoy the world around them. In the words of Andrew, “By not flying we got to see a way of life that impacts our own lives so much - to hear about the people who transport all the white goods to our homes, the clothes we wear and the cars we drive, around the world. It's an incredibly nomadic existence and not one that we get to hear about very often, unless you put yourself in that position of sharing part of the journey with the crew.” 11 Jun 2009 20:41:31 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/lbsLpP-vSOM/freighter-cruising-experience.html F5ED32C1-8C1F-4FFC-9B21-E127863BA55D http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0906/freighter-cruising-experience.html Luang Prabang is a small, ancient city tucked away in northern Laos at the junction of the picturesque Mekong and Nam Khan rivers where nature and community converge in an unassuming way. Longboats run the rivers, rice fields line the banks, mountains paint the distant landscape, and the slow pace of life will envelop even the most harried traveler. This is the perfect place to while away the hours relaxing on the quay with a good book or simply get lost exploring the town. 11 Jun 2009 20:40:45 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/AQDq7cUsgn4/luang-prabang-laos.html 1682DBA6-970E-4C07-B146-4B1822D7CA9B http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/luang-prabang-laos.html “I love Italy!” announced our nine-year old son on our first full day in Portovenere. Although he was the first to say it, we were all charmed by this seaside village on the Ligurian Coast. It had been rainy off and on all morning, but the weather hadn’t prevented us from exploring the city. My son and husband had already played giant outdoor chess in a choice spot on the waterfront while my daughter and I enjoyed fresh grapefruit juice in a café looking out on the stunning port, and we had all explored the village’s rocky fortress and San Pietro Church. 4 Jun 2009 18:46:51 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/3qeXv09L4sI/portovenere-italy-with-kids.html D315770C-DFF5-44B1-9861-AD4914D28297 http://www.gonomad.com/family/0905/portovenere-italy-with-kids.html The Nazca Lines are a series of large geoglyphs, or giant drawings on the ground, located in the Nazca desert in Peru. These geometric shapes of immense proportions are believed to have been created by an ancient civilization sometime between the 4th and 8th centuries BCE, though some believe they were created more recently. The lines seem to have been created through the removal of the reddish-brown desert rocks, which revealed the white Earth below. Since the desert is so dry and does not receive much wind, the lines remain uncovered. Other countries, including the USA, Chile, Bolivia and Egypt, also play host to mysterious geoglyphs, but the Nazca lines are considered the most complex, the most impressive, and the most mysterious. 4 Jun 2009 18:46:05 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/wzAdkxPjFNo/peru-nazca-lines.html 37198711-BDA9-4889-A56E-8ECC5BA8DF0D http://www.gonomad.com/features/0905/peru-nazca-lines.html Vietnam had thrown lots of surprises our way. Three and a half weeks in the country had taught us that it was better to go with the flow than to fight for an itinerary we’d mapped before ever leaving home. For example, we hadn’t planned to spend any time in Mui Ne, a sleepy fishermen’s village turned tourist resort. However, our month-long tourist visa was about to expire and our flight out of the country was leaving from Saigon. The frenetic pace of the city, though, had worn our nerves. Mui Ne was an easy three-hour bus ride away and it provided the slower pace we were seeking. We knew exactly where we wanted to stay in Mui Ne: Bamboo Village. As budget travelers, Bamboo Village cost more for one night’s stay than what we were accustomed to paying for an entire week’s worth of lodging. However, we sprung for the big bucks, beachside villa because it was our wedding anniversary. 28 May 2009 18:34:30 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/FEQG4VQZknU/mui-ne-one.html 8556A9C8-E7E5-4681-8D18-586665E44D4F http://www.gonomad.com/lodgings/0905/mui-ne-one.html My main purpose of visiting San Juan Island was to go on a whale watch. It being the beginning of May, it was uncertain whether I would see the resident orcas. Every winter they migrate as far as Monterey, California, but it wasn’t long before the Captain spotted a familiar pod. Dorsal fins as large as six feet protruded from the still waters. Our naturalists were thrilled to point out two new members of the returning pod. Two 300-pound pink and black babies dove in and out of the water. Orcas are black and pink shortly after birth, but soon after the pink turns to white. 28 May 2009 18:24:53 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/mWW7D8F-O3o/washington-san-juan-islands.html 05E80AB3-158A-4BD4-BC7A-44200798F86B http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/washington-san-juan-islands.html In Macau, the Vegas thing is all there. On steroids. There's a replica of the Roman Coliseum, a volcano like the one at The Mirage, a Disneyesque version of the New Orleans French Quarter, and neon to light the night. However, I sensed this city might be more than just sum of its casinos, and as I fell asleep listening to waves lap at the shore that first night, I knew I still hadn't seen the real Macau. Often mistakenly referred to as an island, Macau is a peninsula just 37 miles southwest of Hong Kong and bordering mainland China. It is now one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China. Governed for 442 years by Portugal, it was the oldest European colony in the history of Asia before it was handed over to China in 1999. The Portuguese influence is apparent in the distinctive architecture, food, music and swirling mosaic patterns inlaid in city streets. 28 May 2009 18:24:03 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/_EyVfLmGOe8/china-macau.html 86EF434E-00E9-4D3F-A40B-17E8BD0CA27F http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/china-macau.html I'd never set foot in the Republic of Texas until last month, when I discovered Beaumont, about two hours north of Houston. It's a city with big plans afoot. Their sidewalks are being ripped up and replaced with quaint brick, and black iron streetlights are being added to give the main drag, Calder Avenue, an old time feel. Things are looking up in this city of refineries. My first evening was spent on a couch, eating passed tapas at the Easy Street, emblematic of the relaxed charm of East Texas. 28 May 2009 18:05:43 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/xOvJ5MMUDjQ/beaumont-texas.html 8CA33A1D-0A8D-466D-8636-5D53FF13333B http://www.gonomad.com/features/0904/beaumont-texas.html Among most Americans the Finnish town of Pori is virtually unknown, but it is a favorite summer getaway for many Finns, as well as European vacationers from Sweden, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands. There are two big reasons: Pori Jazz, which is held every summer in mid July, is the oldest and largest Jazz festival in all Europe. It draws both popular domestic acts and artists of international fame: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Sting, and more recently, Kanye West. For sun lovers and nature enthusiasts the nearby Yyteri beach -- which is known to many as the most beautiful beach in all of Scandinavia -- provides the ultimate reason to visit the Pori area. 28 May 2009 18:04:40 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/isPv5tNTXMo/finland-pori.html ADDA1548-35A6-4B15-8BED-E5C763EB8B5F http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/finland-pori.html The Galápagos Islands, located about 1000 kilometers from mainland Ecuador, are home to a wide variety of land and sea life. The islands get their name from the old Spanish word “galápago,” which was a type of saddle. The first Spaniards to find the islands thought that both the shape of the islands and the tortoise shells resembled the saddles. With 12 main and 12 minor islands, you can spend about two weeks alone exploring each island and swimming in the surrounding areas. The more popular option is to stay on a boat and travel by night, but my friends and I were only in the islands for five days and on the cheap, so we stayed in a hotel on Santa Cruz. 28 May 2009 18:03:31 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/xD0tItHATSc/ecuador-galapagos.html B18F311C-F314-439C-A565-B16F7C0C2B1A http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/ecuador-galapagos.html Putumayo’s latest CD, Italia, was released in May, 2009. Featuring Italian singer-songwriters, this music at times transports you to hilltop villages, other times to smoky cabaret settings in postwar Italy. Folk music inspired by Latin rhythm, swing, and Celtic tradition, it is the vocals that take center stage in this musical storytelling. Gianmaria Testa, singer-songwriter and poet from Piemonte in northern Italy. In Il Viaggio, accompanied by his guitar, he tells the moving story of his plan to follow a raging river from his mountain village to the place where it will meet the sea, leaving behind the bright stars. 28 May 2009 18:02:40 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/ejqPMiKDzzk/putumayo-italy-cd.html B936C958-C24B-4F73-AF27-E5E118C25FD2 http://www.gonomad.com/market/0905/putumayo-italy-cd.html Want to visit Greece? Interested in fighting animal cruelty? If so, a Colorado-based company called inside/out offers a unique combination of cultural immersion and cause-based alternative travel. Participants of inside/out’s “humanitourism” trip to Greece will visit the largely un-touristed Zagoria region to provide hands-on help to a project which desperately needs outside assistance. Located in the country’s mountainous north, and blighted by an overpopulation of dogs and cats, this Greek province has been the site of shockingly inhumane conditions for domestic animals. 16 May 2009 20:25:21 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/npfgsNEuvNU/humanitourism.html 7B27ABC2-19B9-42E8-B06B-308846C64B6E http://www.gonomad.com/helps/0904/humanitourism.html Whether for business or pleasure, many people dislike leaving their small dogs behind when they travel. Instead of putting your dog in a kennel or one of those upscale doggie hotels popping up around the country, consider taking your small dog (weighing 15 pounds or less) with you the next time you travel by airplane. On many major airlines, passengers can pay a fee and have their small dog accompany them on the airplane within the passenger cabin, as long as the pet stays within an FAA approved pet carrier, and that carrier remains under the seat in front of the passenger (like a traditional carry-on bag). 14 May 2009 21:41:47 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/IWvaQ2fEhyE/arizona-winslow.html FC12F794-283D-4069-B1C0-8EFF2F201CF0 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/arizona-winslow.html It’s trivia question time. Who made the town of Winslow, Arizona, famous in the 1970s? If you answered The Eagles, you’re partially right. It was actually Jackson Browne who wrote the lyrics for the Eagles’ 1972 hit song, “Take it Easy.” Glen Frye wrote the music and, if he had also written the lyrics, he might have made some other town famous like Flagstaff or Chinle. But he didn’t, and Winslow will be the capital of Take-it-Easy-land forever or until everyone forgets the song whichever comes first. 14 May 2009 21:40:34 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/IWvaQ2fEhyE/arizona-winslow.html DF32DC1E-CF2A-4D0D-87EE-4BE97465A904 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/arizona-winslow.html iPhones and iPods are becoming essential for travelers--for example, TripIt automatically organizes all of your important travel documents (Photo - flickr user Irrezolut) The iPhone and iPod touch are quickly becoming essential travel tools. With the incredible growth of downloadable third-party software (apps) on iTunes, the iPhone and iPod touch have suddenly become an electronic Swiss-army knife for road warriars and avid travelers. 14 May 2009 21:39:41 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/IKb7RzzrwEw/iphone-travel-apps.html 2C3B564C-41E2-4AAB-8F77-06157EEFB01C http://www.gonomad.com/market/0905/iphone-travel-apps.html I am sitting sweating droplets the size of plums in a wood-burning Finnish sauna in Lapland. It’s well over 110 degrees Fahrenheit inside this little hut, though outside, it’s around 10 degrees. This is not surprising, considering I am 186 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I’d swear at Leena, my Finnish friend who has dragged me into this hot-hole, but Finns consider the sauna a sacred place, and you’re not supposed to use foul language. 14 May 2009 21:38:58 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Vy47y1X6Ji4/finland-lapland.html 6945AA6E-4AE5-409B-9AA9-95BEEF3D8EB4 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/finland-lapland.html Busy working mothers don’t often get the chance to find relaxation close to home. So when the opportunity struck for this mother, daughter, and three-month-old granddaughter to take a three-day vacation in early April, our options were limited. Where could two moms go to getaway and relax in the early spring in New England? We decided to head to the Outer Cape, the last leg of the journey out on the forearm of the Massachusetts peninsula that is Cape Cod. There was some concern about the possibility of cold weather. New England can be notoriously chilly at any given time of year and April is no exception. It has been known to snow on many an April day in this region, but was that enough to tamper our adventurous spirits? Definitely not. 5 May 2009 21:59:53 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/mUIhPAARto4/wellfleet-cape-cod.html 54AE065C-1382-4906-B747-C5D5CD450378 http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0905/wellfleet-cape-cod.html “We are very close to everything,” my driver from the airport explains, smiling as he swerves around a truck with one hand on a cigarette and the other out the window, “And very close to no one.” For a moment I am at a loss as to what he means, and can’t decide if it is a language error, or whether he is, indeed, making a fairly abstract point about the contradictions of Azeri life. Either way, the more time I spend in Azerbaijan, the more convinced I am that his statement actually makes sense. With its semi-desert plains and thickly forested hills, gorgeous coastline and polluted slums, Baku does make you feel like you are within reach of a dozen different places. 5 May 2009 21:59:09 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/67fi_Qc3IDs/azerbaijan.html CCE5177C-96BB-43C4-AB01-9C2C9FD9BCEA http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/azerbaijan.html This was the first vacation we’ve had together where our kids (Julianne, age 14 and Justin, age 11), armed with charge privileges for arcade games and unlimited soda, felt comfortable abandoning us for their own pursuits. This is a godsend if you are looking for a family vacation where the adults can actually spend some quality time alone without worrying about the kids getting bored or into mischief. Our quality time consisted of playing craps in the Casino Royale and working out on the ellipticals in the Fitness Center while staring out at glaciers and other magnificent snow-capped vistas. 5 May 2009 21:58:25 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Ollc0_nSlBE/alaska-cruise.html 491D81D8-B9F8-4BA4-B081-3185D5A14CBD http://www.gonomad.com/family/0904/alaska-cruise.html Qanta Ahmed, a young British Muslim doctor, takes a position at the top hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a whim, hoping for adventure and acceptance in the Middle Eastern Kingdom. What she comes to experience during her two year stay is shockingly different. In the Land of Invisible Women describes Ahmed's encounters with sexism and racism in the Saudi Kingdom, as well as the humor, honesty, loyalty, and love that she eventually finds. She exposes some of the mysteries of the women behind the veil, and explains what it's like to don an abbayah [read: burqa] and become one of the invisible. 5 May 2009 21:57:29 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Y-zzf_W8QUg/invisible-women-excerpt.html 99780A0A-B67F-4929-9993-C2D5716F2B8D http://www.gonomad.com/market/0904/invisible-women-excerpt.html Colorado is distinct proof that variety truly is the spice of life. Many amazing places can be described as having something for everyone, but Colorado is peerless in its unique atmosphere of well-balanced extremes and endless diversity. Over the course of the past 150 years Colorado has persisted through dangerous highs and lows; beginning as an undeveloped beauty, growing to a bustling gold rush boom state, shrinking to an economically devastated collection of ghost towns, and finally emerging from the ashes in the past decades to rise and thrive again, the Centennial State has continued to defy norms and expectations. 5 May 2009 21:56:26 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/y33y2A6cF-s/denver-gold-rush.html 7C74B690-DF08-4DDF-BF78-5EB9954F205A http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/denver-gold-rush.html Imagine climbing and leaping from cliffs into the Atlantic surf, then being buffeted helplessly about by whirlpools and tidal currents. Now imagine doing it safely and laughing yourself breathless. Invented in Wales, coasteering combines extreme sport and environmental consciousness-raising amidst the cliffs of the achingly beautiful Pembrokeshire coast. Death-defying alone, it’s perfectly safe with protective equipment and a local guide who reads the ecologically sensitive coast like a big-print hymnbook. 28 Apr 2009 22:18:13 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/JxN9UJ7PxcU/wales-coasteering.html CB0A9BC6-4220-4A67-B613-B4D7604C9616 http://www.gonomad.com/alternatives/0904/wales-coasteering.html In France, and indeed worldwide, Burgundy has some of the best wine available; Romanee-Conti, Pommard and Corton-Charlemagne can bring tears to practiced taste buds. In the center of Beaune is the Hotel-Dieu (Hospices de Beaune) where a yearly auction of Burgundy wines is offered. This ancient hospital also offers an astounding view into past healing practices, and there are many artistic masterpieces on display. Nearby is one of the palaces of the Dukes of Burgundy, a dukedom which held power for ages in France. The main palace is in Dijon but the Dukes often were drawn by the vineyards. 27 Apr 2009 21:59:07 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/UEStA3Skh1k/france-burgundy-beaune.html 2696BB00-89BE-41AB-8AEF-7B4425E1606B http://www.gonomad.com/food-and-wine/0904/france-burgundy-beaune.html A chill went through my spine as I strode up the gangway to the USS Alabama, anchored just off the coast in the Mobile. It was a cool morning on Mobile Bay, where in the 1960s this 680' long grey piece of historical steel was towed from a West Coast shipyard to the state it was named for. Walking around on such hallowed steel made me think back about the real heroes, like my father, who served during the Second World War on ships like these. The legend has it that Alabama schoolchildren sent in their ice cream money in order to raise the million or so to pay for the relocation. On the ship, swing music is piped into the galley and on the deck, reminding me of the era in which this ship served active duty in the Pacific. It was a short stint, just 37 months. She sailed almost around the globe, served her time, and now she's by the side of the bay for tourists to walk around on and gawk at. 27 Apr 2009 21:57:40 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Ix5CIdqbW2A/alabama-attractions.html A21421C6-E8E3-45E3-B7D6-629424DF23D5 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/alabama-attractions.html Estonia’s capital city is located in the north of the country on the Gulf of Finland, a mere 50 miles south of Helsinki across the water. It is a tradition for Finns to make the trip to Tallinn for its inexpensive prices -- on clothing, food and liquor -- as Finland is notoriously pricey. Since Estonia’s independence from the U.S.S.R. in 1991, transport between Tallinn and Western Europe has become increasingly easy, and with it’s induction into the European Union in 2004 and a vow to adopt the Euro by 2011, Estonia is looking to attract international tourism. As I was in Helsinki for a few days, an overnight trip to nearby Tallinn seemed like a no-brainer: a new country, a charming old city, and a hostel price dramatically lower than any I had seen in Helsinki. I decided to do like the Finns do and make a trip across that icy bay. 27 Apr 2009 21:56:46 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/VtB3f8v7w-I/estonia-tallinn.html 1D8F52C7-EB65-4683-A444-DE6D95D9511F http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/estonia-tallinn.html On my trip to Alabama I found towns like Fairhope, Foley and Monroeville that are as charming to me as my home village, South Deerfield, Massachusetts... a little burg with everything you need: pharmacy, video store, hardware store, general store and of course, cafe. And I found downtown Mobile equally charming with its shady lanes and pocket parks, beautiful historic architecture and friendly, upbeat people. We touched down in our needle-thin regional jet at Mobile's airport, where driver Bill Hyde met me and the group. I sat up front and kept my attention on Bill, peppering him with those questions I like to ask when I first arrive at a new city. 24 Apr 2009 20:17:39 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/TbMzXpbkUMw/alabama-towns.html 2A345FD7-0595-4989-805D-92D484C0774B http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/alabama-towns.html So twelve of us boarded an air-conditioned bus (temperatures soar in March in India) and met our tour guide. Lucknow is known for its politeness and the guide was an epitome of it. But little did we know what was in store for us later. He told us a little about the city which was know as Avadh in the times gone by and was ruled by colorful kings and noblemen. Our first stop was the Bara (big) Imambara. Some of us had trains and planes to catch the same day and shopping was also included in the agenda. There is a beautiful gate next to the Bara Imambara called Roomi Darwaza (door) and the entrance to the Imambara is also grand. It is said to be built around 1783, commissioned by the ruler Asad-Ud-Daulah in the time of severe famine.The objective was to provide employment and relief to the people. 24 Apr 2009 20:13:55 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/WdGNAAFbWFM/india-lucknow.html 435F3DE4-8F2A-445F-9897-B54C07709753 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/india-lucknow.html Estonia’s capital city is located in the north of the country on the Gulf of Finland, a mere 50 miles south of Helsinki across the water. It is a tradition for Finns to make the trip to Tallinn for its inexpensive prices -- on clothing, food and liquor -- as Finland is notoriously pricey. Since Estonia’s independence from the U.S.S.R. in 1991, transport between Tallinn and Western Europe has become increasingly easy, and with it’s induction into the European Union in 2004 and a vow to adopt the Euro by 2011, Estonia is looking to attract international tourism. As I was in Helsinki for a few days, an overnight trip to nearby Tallinn seemed like a no-brainer: a new country, a charming old city, and a hostel price dramatically lower than any I had seen in Helsinki. I decided to do like the Finns do and make a trip across that icy bay. 24 Apr 2009 20:13:02 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/VtB3f8v7w-I/estonia-tallinn.html 63C02DA9-711B-4BB5-9BAC-18ACF10A9981 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/estonia-tallinn.html Lucknow is known for its politeness and the guide was an epitome of it. But little did we know what was in store for us later. He told us a little about the city which was know as Avadh in the times gone by and was ruled by colorful kings and noblemen. Our first stop was the Bara (big) Imambara. Some of us had trains and planes to catch the same day and shopping was also included in the agenda. There is a beautiful gate next to the Bara Imambara called Roomi Darwaza (door) and the entrance to the Imambara is also grand. It is said to be built around 1783, commissioned by the ruler Asad-Ud-Daulah in the time of severe famine.The objective was to provide employment and relief to the people. 23 Apr 2009 22:46:33 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/WdGNAAFbWFM/india-lucknow.html 79151140-5138-40EF-A4B5-4B616F65C5BE http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/india-lucknow.html Uzbekistan, hapless heroic Uzbekistan, bedeviled by one of the world’s most regimented police states, offers Central Asia’s most incredible and truly astounding sites so dazzling that eyes glaze in wonder. These marvels span the country, World Heritage cities strung seriatim to form three police state jewels. Tourists are little affected by the antics of the current petty dictator, Islam Karimov, who continues to gain in popularity from a mere 92% plurality in the 2000 election to an awesome 99% in the 2005 election. 23 Apr 2009 22:45:22 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/wqC4NIykFNY/uzbekistan.html A6E16A14-6574-4377-9908-A42F92C52F5E http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/uzbekistan.html I was about to share fears and hopes with my ancestors. With the aid (and the patience) of Pino, I journeyed to Sardinia through the oldest Carnival I had ever seen, or experienced, because, let’s face it, you can’t just see a 2000-year-old ritual, you need to experience it. Being born in Sardinia myself and having lived for twenty years only 60 km away from Mamoiada, I have always known this tradition, but after seeing what it actually does for the spirit of the village, I’ve realized I had never captured the spirit of lonesome figure of the Mamuthones. 23 Apr 2009 22:42:30 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/k9Z_OStYelQ/sardinia-mamuthones.html F624FDA4-EEE6-4E24-A6CF-4115ECF8EEA1 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0904/sardinia-mamuthones.html The Sibyl uttered her trance-induced predictions, Charon ferried souls across the swampy Styx, and Romans bathed in hydrothermal spas, all within an eight square mile area west of Naples, Italy, known as the Phlegraean Fields. For my three girls (ages 3, 7, and 10) the wonders here include exploring active volcanoes, the Sibyl’s cave, the entrance to Hades, and ancient Roman villas. The Phlegraean Fields encompass a caldera or cauldron-like region of twenty-four volcanoes and craters, many still bubbling with seismic activity. Escaping the bustle of downtown Naples and the crowds of Pompeii, this region has fewer tourists and more eye-popping sites. 23 Apr 2009 22:43:31 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/wiW_CUEuq_A/italy-naples-family.html 8A0949DE-0ADB-4636-B2F5-E21C8B67DBB4 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0904/italy-naples-family.html As our truck followed the curves of the highway through the mountain valleys, I realized how wrong I’d been. A full moon hung low in the sky, casting its silver glow over the snow-capped mountains, wide rocky riverbeds, and smooth ice-bound lakes. Any talk other than oohs and aahs faded as we stared out our windows at the beautiful night before us. Because of the hour, there were few other vehicles on the road, and I gripped the steering wheel, alternately glancing at the highway and then at the scenery. The moonlight bathed the park in a surreal, romantic glow, making me appreciate anew the scenery that I’d seen so many times in years of driving this highway. 23 Apr 2009 22:41:23 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/hDkILeYEAWY/canada-alberta-jasper.html 74AD78F4-8E36-4B37-A1BF-11777134DA47 http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0904/canada-alberta-jasper.html Drug dealers and kidnappings and attacks, oh my! In late February, the U.S. Department of State released a travel advisory for travel in Mexico. Though the advisory specifically discussed large cities along the border, the American media’s reporting tactics have targeted the entire nation. Surely there are dangerous areas in Mexico, but when I visited the west coast city of Puerto Vallarta and its surrounding towns, I felt safer than I’ve felt in many American cities. A charming city located on the Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta hasn’t gone unnoticed by world travelers. It’s slowly expanded and acclimated to the approximate three million visitors received every year. 23 Apr 2009 22:36:30 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/ra5pgMYYNwY/mexico-puerto-vallarta.html 4E685777-2CA7-43E2-B5A2-2230E01EE921 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/mexico-puerto-vallarta.html For all its popularity as a travel destination, the Golden State still has plenty of wonderful out-of-the-way places to explore. Below is an excerpt from the book Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting by the editors of Reader's Digest. The excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy. 23 Apr 2009 22:34:14 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/0MdHpslsv-U/california-off-the-beaten-path-excerpt.html C3D02196-164F-4392-BA83-9F538C5A7093 http://www.gonomad.com/market/0904/california-off-the-beaten-path-excerpt.html If ordinary bicycle tours aren’t enough to satisfy the intrepid traveler in you, it’s time to take a journey through the challenging but spectacular scenery of the Andes Trail in South America. In 2008, twenty steadfast biking enthusiasts traveled 11,000 kilometers (or 6,875 miles) from Mitad-del-Mundo monument at the equator just outside Quito, Ecuador to Ushuaia, Argentina, known as “the end of the world.” The expedition was put together by Bike Dreams, a long-distance cycling company based in the Netherlands. 23 Apr 2009 22:33:22 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/rXnTS4m4QhQ/andes-trail.html 62CC87B4-5E39-4CFA-AA64-E8A0C2D793D6 http://www.gonomad.com/bicycle-tours/0904/andes-trail.html Even if you have only three days for an adventure to squeeze in between your trips, jobs, deadlines, family problems, dont hesitate -- venture. No matter how unlikely it looks from where you are now, it may be that right thing to do to get your mind off problems and let enough energy into your system to feel the lust for life again. Mission: A three-day getaway with a friend to a place which would smoothly combine new and ancient, beautiful and odd, interesting and familiar, busy and relaxing, distant and close, brief, yet having a lasting aftertaste. To stop it sounding like a riddle from some old Slavic fairytales, lets put it straight. As we had only three days, our ideal destination would be some foreign country which was not very far off; we could cope with several hours by train. Challenge: Having just returned from a week trip to Sevastopol, the Crimea peninsula, I had three days left till getting back to work. My initial intention was to waste them away on the sofa, when I received a phone call from my friend in Moscow, suggesting us going somewhere nice to see the summer off. The weather forecast resolved our doubts between St. Petersburg and Kiev: +18 C (64 F) versus 32C (90 F), the city we already visited many times against a brand new travel experience. 8 Apr 2009 19:12:41 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/CED19aploHU/ukraine-kiev.html CD019BDA-2C7F-448D-918A-701189C11DA2 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/ukraine-kiev.html The credit crunch got you down? Need a break from bailouts? Spring skiing should do the trick. Its the same rush as playing the stock market but much safer. My favorite picks: Val dIsere and Chamonix, two of the best resorts in the world, both that stay open long after the closing bell. Gains Made at Val dIsere There are no losers at Val dIsere, only winners. This mountain is built on the backs of a long list of champions like Ortleib, Jean Claude Killy, Oreiller, Goitschel, Bozzetto and more recently, Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn of the United States. Vonn won the World Championships Super-G with a time of 1 minute, 20.73 seconds in February at the FIS World Alpine Ski Championship this year. With 154 trails, thats 186 miles of skiing. Its surprising the races arent held here every year. Together with Val dIsere and neighboring Tignes, the mountain is aptly called L'Espace Killy. The height of L'Espace Killy gives the advantage of rarely being short on newly groomed trails, all 1850 meters or 6,069 feet of them. 8 Apr 2009 19:11:30 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/pbPjuORpvrM/france-skiing.html D7596CBB-5FD2-4B6F-939D-8230BCC915B4 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/france-skiing.html Leaning back on the carpet-covered benches on the patio of the Caf Des Deliices in Sidi Bou Said Tunisia, my three friends and I exhaled slowly. It had been a long trip from New York to get here. The waiter brings a tray of sweet pepper mint tea and strong Turkish coffee: the kind with the grounds on the bottom of small cups that you sip slowly. In between us stands a tall hookah. Our Tunisian guide Wadya laughs at us as we timidly take small puffs off the apple flavored Tobacco that is heated rather than burned by a small piece of charcoal on top. 8 Mar 2009 19:04:22 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/u8Np5fg7568/tunisia.html D742D84A-31B4-4B25-83A6-08B4064156BF http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0904/tunisia.html “Are you headed up North or are you going down South? asked the waitress at dinner on our first night. “Actually, were here in Concord for the weekend, I replied. Her eyes lit up and she told us that she was happy we had come. So were we. Having grown up in Massachusetts my boyfriend Ty and I had no excuse as to why we had never visited the nearby capital of New Hampshire, and when I was invited to the opening of the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center we jumped at the chance. The city is accessible and exceedingly easy to navigate, which is a huge plus, especially if youre lacking a navigation system in your car as I am. There are also plenty of public buses and trolleys that run through the center of town, and if you are staying right in the city, as we were at the Holiday Inn Concord, the State House and downtown Concord are a short walk away. 31 Mar 2009 21:42:05 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Gkm8vSxsnnw/new-hampshire-concord.html 705F003E-B167-4816-9B79-E1B3571BEAE6 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/new-hampshire-concord.html I found the prospect of visiting Egypt daunting, but not because I feared terrorism. (Dont let the February 09 bomb in downtown Cairo mislead you; Egypts Tourist Police have not permitted a single such incident at the countrys archaeological sites since 1997.) Nor did I fear the famously searing heat. (Theres a simple solution: Go in winter). No, what scared me, simply, was claustrophobia. To see some of Egypts greatest ancient wonders, such as the breathtakingly vivid wall paintings in the pharoahs Valley of the Kings, you first have to get through narrow passageways to crypts cut deep into hillsides. My concern, therefore, was that in order to savor these and other treasures, Id have to shake my fear before I left the Cairo area. So mine is a tale of bold actions and derring do including one Sphinx, three pyramids, and a critique of the 1932 horror movie, The Mummy. 27 Mar 2009 20:59:53 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/-wuWPCY0Gag/egypt-pyramids.html 7569038E-AC7A-4137-931A-C87CC15DBE29 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/egypt-pyramids.html Taking a back road into Auch, France, the remote capital of the Gers, in a rented Renault time machine, two hired housesitters pinched themselves. Auch! As the 15th-century Cathedral de Sainte Marie and the 14th-century Tour dArmagnac rose up into the elegant cobalt sky, our eyes climbed the Escalier Monumentales 232 steps to the swashbuckling statue of the regions most famous cadet: DArtagnan the Fourth Musketeer. Assuming a bright and breezy tone, we decided that life doesnt get much better than this: a three-month housesitting job in the French countryside. We were deep in the heart of gastronomical Gascony, the stomping ground of ghostly gourmets, a center of the foie gras trade, and the birthplace of Armagnac. 25 Mar 2009 19:29:50 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/HHg7qaD_6BI/france-gascony.html 9254863F-6EA2-46D0-9637-A6CDF5ADDBA0 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/france-gascony.html The Pod straddles the ambiguous ground between hostel and hotel, but does so deliberately. Micro-hotels mimic hostels by effectively rationing square footage. By keeping personal quarters to a minimum and emphasizing shared community spaces, micro-hotels capitalize upon an aspect of the hostels business model that makes such low rates possible. If youve stayed in enough hostels, you come to recognize the things that are "nice to have," versus the things you "want" and things that you "need." 25 Mar 2009 19:28:20 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/xrQvemj4KZ4/new-york-pod-hotel.html B1EDA919-CCF9-4BF2-B323-67D4E980EE93 http://www.gonomad.com/lodgings/0903/new-york-pod-hotel.html After a bit in Brussels it was time to traverse the French-speaking Wallonia area, packed with more castles and breweries than any man could wish for, one castle per 25 kilometers. It is no wonder that many of Europes battles took place in Wallonia; it was well worth fighting over. Through history right up to WWII, major decisive battles raged, yet today it is a peaceful, picturesque place. Wallonia is the lungs of Belgium with more than 80 % of Belgiums forests. It also borders France, Luxembourg and Germany while maintaining its own style and traditions. There was no better place to begin than in the capital of Wallonia, Namur cradled between the Meuse and Sambre rivers. Victuals in the area are superb as there are cheese makers, bakers, farmers and monastery masters at food production. 20 Mar 2009 21:11:40 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/4wjUh6lD44k/belgium-wallonia.html 64383DE5-9E3D-4326-99DD-C2EFBECA55B7 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/belgium-wallonia.html We flew into Cancun, that man-made destination that was born in the early 70s in the vast and lightly populated Yucatan Peninsula. Here you can visit ruins from the glorious Mayan civilizations, and even meet with Mayans who live in the region today. There are also many chances to get some adrenaline going, and view deep dark places that youll never forget! Though Cancun is best known for its famous Hotel Zone, with more than 145 hotels and a staggering 28,000 rooms, just down the coast we found another place that brings travelers a taste of what Mexicos Riviera Maya used to be its called Puerto Morelos. 20 Mar 2009 21:10:59 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/FofdZC6p-y8/mexico-cancun-ecotourism.html 724695B9-C16B-4B9F-B9FB-A93F7727C275 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/mexico-cancun-ecotourism.html Though it cost a sizeable personal fortune, I persevered, discovering the worlds most scenic 300-mile (500 kilometer) highway, a vast region chocked with sparkling glaciers stretching from Tajikistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan, the safe parts of the latter two oft-time problematical countries. The Pamirs are entered from the Silk Road through Osh, Kyrgyzstan, south to Sary Tash where the Pamirs slash a curtain of ice across the entire southern horizon, glistening behemoths crowned by hundreds of miles of glaciers. 20 Mar 2009 21:10:09 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Aj1v3x29hWc/tajikistan.html 8C314398-1BE7-4720-8F6D-B3D5FE6D9E37 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/tajikistan.html Families sightseeing in Europe have different priorities than couples or individuals. The adults still want to visit historic sites, experience a different culture, try new foods and drinks, but kids get impatient with complex itineraries and long waits. A visit cant just be interesting - it also has to be fun. Strasbourg was a treat for our family of four with two kids, ages 7 and 9. We visited in December to see the famous Christmas markets and discovered an impressive city that makes it easy for young visitors to enjoy its charms. 20 Mar 2009 21:09:38 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/49ei1YKeqew/strasbourg-with-the-kids.html 8DCFD073-E0F7-4AAA-B76D-1137BF0784F7 http://www.gonomad.com/family/0903/strasbourg-with-the-kids.html California's Napa Valley is famous around the world for its fine wines, and the area is also known as a center for the culinary arts. Visitors to the valley can learn all about the cultivation and preparation of fine food and wine at a local campus of the nation's most prestigious culinary institute. The Culinary Institute of Americas Greystone campus in St. Helena, California, is shifting the role of the wine country spectator into the role of the creator and entrepreneur of fine foods and wines through a series of short classes offered to non-enrolled guests. 11 Mar 2009 21:31:24 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/woedbEU8uuA/california-cia.html 1EACDA71-3DD4-4E7A-BC17-64650AC37E6F http://www.gonomad.com/food-and-wine/0903/california-cia.html Whenever I travel my internal barometer measures how I rate a place by sensory intake. How does a place look, smell, sound, taste and touch. I call it “spirit of place. Its the essence that adds up and captures the destination. My trip to the French Alps was a multi-sensory experience. I started in Megeve, a small Alpine village whose name means village surrounded by water. I saw a landscape dotted with farmhouses and chalets, streams and forests. A medieval, pedestrian town center had narrow winding streets, giving the impression of a place little changed over time. 11 Mar 2009 21:30:42 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/bwo-LeKUQDQ/france-alps.html 8E661AFC-A794-430C-8279-FA05044AB418 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0903/france-alps.html The hardest part came just before Stella Point -- again the guidebook was right. Theres a steep fifty-or-so meters of loose gravel sliding down beneath you with every step. I inhaled with one step, exhaled with the next. I felt like an engine, knowing nothing but the movements of my legs and lungs. Suddenly, the ground was firm and flat beneath me. Wed reached Stella Point (5752 m/18,871 ft). I raised my arms in victory. The hard part was over. From Stella Point, we walked a gentle incline to Uhuru Peak, stumbling and catching our balance like a bunch of drunks. 11 Mar 2009 21:29:00 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/-ihrR4PxKsE/tanzania-kilimanjaro.html C8CDC556-F59E-4967-AF25-06F989BF9FC3 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0903/tanzania-kilimanjaro.html Beyond providing an escape from our everyday routine, travel enables us to understand ourselves and the world around us in a new way. Through bonds made both with locals in places we visit and with travelers sharing the experience, we realize a side of ourselves that we never knew before. More and more, women are finding that these journeys of discovery are best made with other women. There exists a strong communal feeling among participants in women-only travel, and a sense of freedom that is hard to come by when traveling with the entire family. 11 Mar 2009 21:28:19 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/nZQDXVl6AyM/women-adventure.html D807E0DD-76E5-456A-8866-5DEE0A7A7EA9 http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0903/women-adventure.html [David Grann just published a fascinating book about an adventure searching for an ancient mystery in the Amazon. We are pleased to be able to publish this brief excerpt of “The Lost City of Z which is the kind of travel book we love a combination of history and adventure in the worlds deepest, darkest jungles.] 11 Mar 2009 21:27:10 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Ti0BfY2AbfQ/lost-city-of-z.html A1B3BBE3-FD16-4BA9-987D-649415F84520 http://www.gonomad.com/market/0903/lost-city-of-z.html Explorers intrigued by centuries-old cave formations and the opportunity to investigate the world below ground will find activities to suit their subterranean tastes in the town of Oudtshoorn in South Africa. Nestled in the Little Karoo region of the Western Cape of South Africa and a little more than 260 miles from Cape Town, Oudtshoorn is the ideal base for travelers headed to the world-famous Cango Caves. It also boasts opportunities to explore smaller local caves and discover the area near the Swartberg Mountains via quad bike. 11 Mar 2009 21:26:15 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/zXoijrEEIoo/south-africa-caving.html EAC56DE4-CCBA-4270-8FB4-8FDA9D2055A0 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0903/south-africa-caving.html According to my audacious climbing instructor the scenery was spectacular. But I couldnt look down. The snow-capped peaks and misty basin of Cwm Idwals hanging valley might have been caked in pink icing and sprinkled with chocolate hail for all I cared. I just wanted my two feet firmly planted on its verdant ground. Three hundred feet up and with three hundred feet to go, I began to wonder why I - a height-fearing, laptop-worshipping urbanite - had left the luxury of my four-star hotel to come to a rock climbers playground nicknamed Devils Kitchen (so called because of an ominous swirling plume seen to circle above Llyn Idwal Lake). 10 Mar 2009 21:26:13 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/NwZIDkn5Tk0/uk-wales-climbing.html 8A82C70A-A6A8-4E95-B905-4AF0525F383E http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0903/uk-wales-climbing.html While the 1995 documentary "High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell" was a critically acclaimed victory for HBO, it was a curse upon the fourth largest city in Massachusetts. Lowell earned an ugly reputation in the early 1990s due to drug and gang issues, but since then a dramatic downtown revival has made the city a center of history and culture, from the historic mills and Jack Kerouac to art and the annual folk festival. Between roughly 1840 and 1870, Lowells textile mills made the city a veritable hot spot for young immigrants who traveled to America in search of work. The young generation of mostly Irish settlers struggled to make a living in what was then known as the town of East Chelmsford, living on mere pennies a day. 26 Feb 2009 21:48:14 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/L34xed1IEiY/massachusetts-lowell.html 38E0C9A7-59EC-4401-9952-29B17B824F75 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0902/massachusetts-lowell.html If you're one of the 9.3 million people who tune in to The Amazing Race, then chances are the seasoned traveler in you can't help thinking: "I could do that!" Steve Belkin, president and founder of Competitours travel competitions, agrees. His new company pits teams of two against each other in quirky challenges around Europe, each competing for the grand prize: a worldwide travel spree. 26 Feb 2009 21:46:40 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/9BhQW6boOE8/competitours.html 06AE7860-DF0F-486C-A1D9-0BB3CDC2718A http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0902/competitours.html Could the world turn without an occasional sip of real champagne? I doubt it. Reims (or Rheims) is synonymous with champagne, or so I have always thought. It is no doubt where you should start, especially considering that below the streets deep in the chalk soil are caves connected with miles and miles of tunnels. Nestled below are bottles and bottles of champagne, lovingly cared for and meticulously counted. Troyes likewise was a definite stop when I headed to France's Champagne region. But on this trip to the area, I also wanted to explore some of the hidden gems, lesser-known places with age-old traditions. 20 Feb 2009 21:29:52 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/GedViDVvnvI/france-champagne.html 4FCB8CE8-E1BA-4C44-8F21-94C388D54564 http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0902/france-champagne.html We motored by bus out of the city of Torino, heading for a mountain village deep into the Alps on a September afternoon. The small coach wound around the hairpin turns, and one of our mates kept putting his hands in front of his face, as he was afraid to look out the window. The bus strained as it made its way up the steep paved road, and pebbles flew off to the side down a vast face of rock. By the side of the winding road, goats with long tapered horns grazed on an impossibly steep rock face. They were not wild mountain goats, but a herd tended by a faraway farmer. 20 Feb 2009 21:28:50 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/BjeHirLAaeo/hiking-in-the-alps-torino.html 8B97AD1E-02DE-4F9B-B206-5DC66C5C8590 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0902/hiking-in-the-alps-torino.html For some beer lovers, attending both Oktoberfest and the Great British Beer Festival in a single year would be an accomplishment. For Chris Nelson and Merideth Canham-Nelson, those festivals were only a fraction of their Year in Beer, an odyssey that had the couple drinking pints in five European countries and seven U.S. cities throughout 2008. The two first became interested in beer exploration during the 90s when Merideth got a job waitressing at a pub in Oakland, California that had 28 rotating beers on tap. She found it hard to keep them straight and wanted to know beer better. 20 Feb 2009 21:27:33 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/zWuBRHQLzZY/year-in-beer.html 8B1AC79E-0115-4FA7-B35C-23C62302E166 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0902/year-in-beer.html The Wow factor of the world's greatest archaeological treasures puts Machu Picchu near the top, along with Petra in Jordan, Ankgor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar, among others. But when it comes to that most important of factors: location, setting and surroundings, Machu Picchu is either number one or tied with Petra, which is strewn along miles of red-rock canyons frequented by those early capitalists, the Nabatean spice traders. Machu Picchu nestles between two pointy peaks at a modest 8,000 feet (2400 meters), the best known yet least understood of the great Incan ruins. No one has figured out exactly who lived there or why, or the reason for Machu Picchu's abandonment before the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s. 20 Feb 2009 21:26:52 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/cmm0Z6Ptt3Y/peru-machu-picchu.html 08083BFA-EC38-4E7C-8C55-0BC974B1B0DD http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0902/peru-machu-picchu.html GoNOMAD Editors Max Hartshorne and Kent St. John and Julia Dimon of the TV show Word Travels presented a seminar on travel writing for beginners in February at the NY Times Travel Show. Below are some tips that they offered the 180 attendees at the presentation. You'll also find some great outlets for beginning travel writers. Julia Dimons Travel Writing Tips: 1) Find a Good Hook: Take a fresh point of view on an old subject or look for unusual new stories. Many of the places you will write about have been written about before, so you need to find something new and original to say that will grab a readers (and an editors attention.) 2) Be a Reporter: Traveling as a writer is different from traveling as a tourist. Take notes, ask questions, get quotes and notice the little details of your trip. How much did it cost, how long has it been open, how many people have visited, etc. Travel writing has been described as part reporting, part dear diary and part providing traveler information. 17 Feb 2009 16:40:44 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/bv8bSlV79Ww/travel-writing-tips.html B1E2B46F-9A96-412A-AC34-D77D7D72B775 http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0901/travel-writing-tips.html Everyone knows that bicycle tours are one of the best ways to experience Europe, but there are many different kinds of bicycle tours, and many different ways to book them. Many US tour companies will make all the arrangements for your travel, lodging and dining and see that you cover the scenic and cultural highlights of a region -- with a group of your fellow Americans. But you can generally save money and find greater flexibility by booking a tour with a European company because their volume is so much greater. Europeans average about a month of vacation every year, and consequently they do a lot more traveling, and especially a lot more bicycling. Because they have so much more volume, European tours companies can charge as much as 70 percent less than tours booked with American tour companies, and they can offer a wider selection of tours and departure dates. 17 Feb 2009 16:39:18 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/-wYVl_5UFBk/european-bike-tours.html 4D90E1C7-F0A7-43BF-8DEA-D9CE26DF274F http://www.gonomad.com/bicycle-tours/0901/european-bike-tours.html Its that time of year again - when chocolate boxes are carved into hearts, roses brim from corner grocers, and cupid comes out of hiding. So, how are you going to celebrate the big day of romance? What love-struck surprise can you conjure up for your favorite valentine? This year were taking you to the Pacific Northwest jewel of Seattle. Although Seattles downtown core is a mish mash of past and present, it all works together harmoniously. New-age high rises hover above Gold Rush landmarks, trendy boutiques snuggle between flagship department stores and government headquarters brush up to corporate conglomerates. There are countless cozy espresso bars where you can escape the drizzly weather, ethnic-varied restaurants to appease the most discerning palate and so much cultural diversity itll make your head spin. This destination thats embraced by the glistening Puget Sound and backed by snow tipped peaks is so picturesque itll tug on any heart strings. 10 Feb 2009 21:58:03 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/6VQAQR9BiOo/seattle-valentines.html 3FFB8399-111B-448A-9F45-FABD2DF46064 http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0902/seattle-valentines.html I like being around the sea a lot. Sesha likes to be around mountains. It is not that I do not like mountains, but I like sea equally if not more and it had been five years since I went anywhere near a beach. The best part about Surathkal Beach is that it is empty. It is not like Goa beaches; the sand is for 10 meters or so but minus the crowds it felt like heaven. Both of us had backpacks and the sun was high in the sky and it was almost noon. Still we took off our shoes, tied them to our backpacks and walked along the sea. There are small rocks which we climbed, got wet and slipped a little from! 6 Feb 2009 21:35:54 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/vJKVMMIkrBA/india-surathkal-beach.html 73BDC36E-8D23-4BC3-8FDA-1F56744C696D http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0902/india-surathkal-beach.html The shared taxi driver strapped on his fingerless driving gloves and gripped the small chain steering wheel as he jumped in, not what you want to see when you're about to travel a notoriously dangerous highway. His needless revving of the tuned Paykan's engine and obvious impatience didn't exactly inspire confidence either. Things had started to look grim. 6 Jan 2009 21:35:00 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/xW2IIotGXGA/iran-taxi.html 77F43148-369A-4360-B7DA-1A9BB0ADC229 http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0901/iran-taxi.html Sure, youll visit the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, but to glimpse a more authentic Paris, consider taking a few detours. Unique memories are sometimes made in the most unexpected places, so stash a copy of this article inside your travel guide when you head to Paris. These are the unexpected spots where my favorite memories and Parisian impressions were made. At school we called it an overview: a little taste of the things wed study more thoroughly in the future. In Paris, the effective overview is a Segway tour. Segways are those two-wheeled scooter-like contraptions that you ride standing up. They look a little like an old-fashioned lawnmower with a platform for standing. The four members of our tour, all new to Segways, were a bit wobbly at first. After about twenty minutes we were riding around as if we dodged Paris traffic every day. 30 Jan 2009 21:34:47 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/K8ydlDc6rus/france-paris-detours.html F6FCA8DC-DBA2-45F3-ADF9-AF51A664C0CE http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0901/france-paris-detours.html Nature works in mysterious ways. Otherwise, how does one explain the striking structure of the massive Shawangunk Ridge which extends from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains? Nature has been at its powerful best while creating the layered silica-cemented Shawangunk conglomerate with bold strokes of pure white quartz pebbles and sandstone. The vegetation is dense and the lakes around it are crystal clear. The Shawangunks contain mostly private land as well as land owned by the Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Sam's Point Preserve with more than 100 miles of hiking trails and several areas for rock climbing. 29 Jan 2009 20:24:46 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/_KqsHeJwGpQ/new-york-shawangunks.html 3ABBBBE5-15A6-4E56-81FA-4C26AFCAE548 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0901/new-york-shawangunks.html While planning your next get away, consider the wide array of travel items that have recently hit the market to help make the trip a little easier. For a beach vacation in Mexico, clean drinking water can come in the form of a water purification drinking bottle. Toting neck cushions or warm travel socks could be the key to making a long plane or car ride as comfortable as possible. And for techies who cant live without their iPhones, travel accessories like a portable fuel cell charger or a stylus for easy typing make bringing electronics abroad a snap. 22 Jan 2009 22:26:54 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/Nnubehix95A/travel-gadgets.html 2F2EBDDE-4796-4D88-9B18-AB66ACB06F5F http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0901/travel-gadgets.html For a unique family travel experience, you can't beat Goblin Valley, Utah. Situated between Utah's more popular (and crowded) national parks, this unusual state park and the nearby Little Wild Horse slot canyon offer fun and adventure for young and old alike. We visited in October, a great time of year when the air is warm, and the sunny skies are bright blue. We were so enchanted by the area that we stayed for a week. 22 Jan 2009 22:25:50 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/5fEe7LHhk0s/utah-goblin-valley.html 1EFA161C-843F-4135-A49C-5626D3CB2EEE http://www.gonomad.com/family/0901/utah-goblin-valley.html GoNOMAD.com is proud to be a media partner for the sixth annual New York Times Travel Show to be held February 6 to 8, 2009, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. More than 400 exhibitors will be on hand representing more than 100 countries. You can meet the staff of GoNOMAD.com at booth 1033 and learn about exotic destinations around the world. GoNOMAD.com is an alternative travel content website with more than 200,000 unique visitors per month. GoNOMAD Editors Max Hartshorne and Kent St. John will conduct a workshop on travel writing, based on a highly successful workshop at last year's show. Back from a trip and want to share what you saw with the world? Hartshorne and St. John will present an overview of the travel writing market for beginning travel writers and provide tips and tricks that will help get your articles published. 22 Jan 2009 22:25:03 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/PV29t3L3Jy8/nytimes-travel-show.html E89C798A-3CC8-471D-9995-B6445D3ABA69 http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0901/nytimes-travel-show.html It is evening in downtown Seville. With bated breath, a seated audience fills the inner courtyard of the Museum of Flamenco Dance. The ceiling, at the top of the building's atrium, is echoingly high. The walls are a smooth embrace of stone pillars and brick. And tonight, all of it threatens to crumble beneath the frown on Antonio Granjero's face. It's a look of anger and incredulity, and it is as essential to tonight's performance as the music and footwork itself. Granjero has taken the stage as the male dancer in tonight's flamenco show. The performance, entitled "Vaya con Dios," or "Go with God," is the most explosive and energetic dance I have ever seen. 20 Jan 2009 18:47:03 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/nBlIDHDOia8/spain-flamenco.html B8C59FEB-76CF-41B2-AE99-24C5C0E6C97E http://www.gonomad.com/features/0901/spain-flamenco.html Now in its 11th year (2008), the Rainforest World Music Festival is held every July in a valley one hour west of the city of Kuching, Borneo. The beloved location is inside a sprawling living museum the Sarawak Cultural Village. The goal is to promote peace and harmony by assembling renowned world musicians from all over the world. The venue splits at the seams with breaking attendance records and people still arrive without tickets, optimistic of finding a way in. Its akin to the Woodstock of Southeast Asia. About 9,000 other music fans joined me on this July evening. Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and First Lady, Datin Sri Jeanne Abdullah are here. These VIPs mean little to me but wild applause ensues as they take their seats under a giant canvas. 20 Jan 2009 18:43:43 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/klX-kYIWPh8/sarawak-malaysia-rainforest-music-festival.html 3AB51D92-C58D-4B8E-AF80-5A3D5F06DF08 http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0901/sarawak-malaysia-rainforest-music-festival.html The folks at RoadTrip America have been collecting pictures of funny and odd road signs for years, and have an impressive online gallery of more than 400 photographs, submitted by RTA members from around the U.S. and Canada. After twelve years of assembling “highway howlers online, RoadTrip America has released a collection of favorites called Caution: Funny Signs Ahead. The hilarious photos are accompanied by fitting captions, and the book inspires the reader to get out on the open road and find some silly ones themselves. 20 Jan 2009 18:42:44 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/wkaC11OU8nM/funny-signs.html C08EF530-08E8-40B6-9194-955B32646E29 http://www.gonomad.com/market/0901/funny-signs.html I am alone in a round pen, intentionally scaring a horse that could kill me. I wave a wand that has a plastic bag tied to the end of it. This strange, snapping object scares the horse, making him trot nervously around the edges of the pen. Tom Chambers, a Horse Listener is standing outside the pen, coaching me. “Keep your eye on his rear flank, he says. “Dont look him in the eye. That tells him that you want him to go away. Okay, hes getting tired. Hes licking his lips, Thats baby talk for a horse. He wants you to take care of him and make the scary bag go away. When you want him to stop running, just say 'Stop!' in your brain." Yeah, right. The horse is a mind-reader? “Stop, I think, and the horse does. Wow. 26 Dec 2008 20:26:17 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gonomad/~3/3PG7WvbvLNg/arizona-tanque-verde.html 0067AE4B-6D8B-4980-BB00-C2F4543C4F47 http://www.gonomad.com/features/0812/arizona-tanque-verde.html