A Tourist With a Shovel and a Hoe

When she arrived in Kenya to volunteer with the Maasai, Daniela Petrova looked down her nose at tourists there to have a good time. But was her own motivation much different?

How Should I Spend My Time in Spain?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

Paul Theroux: Invisible Man on a Ghost Train

Jim Benning asks the author of “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star” about his new book, aging and the challenge of disappearing in the age of the BlackBerry

Eat Ceviche in Lima

Grab a Cusqueña and get comfortable. As Nicholas Gill explains, a trip to a Peruvian cevichería can be an all-day immersion in good conversation and raw seafood.

Unsentimental Journeys: Wrestling With Paul Theroux

Bronwen Dickey considers “Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: 28,000 Miles in Search of the Great Railway Bazaar”

My Travels, My Feet

After taking one too many headless torso shots of herself, solo traveler Sophia Dembling started snapping photos of her feet around the world, from the Grand Canyon to Red Square

Seven Reasons to Have a Foreign Fling

Sure, having an overseas romance is fun. But Terry Ward points out seven other benefits to cross-border love, mon petit chou.

Travel Headline of the Day: ‘Leaking Mushroom Soup Halts Plane’

Great headline. Oh, the power of a good mushroom soup. There was actually a little more to the story of why a Ryanair plane had to make an unscheduled landing in Germany. 

It’s Not Easy Going Green, Even in Denver

Denver is, of course, packed this week with Democrats. And since the Mile-High City has cultivated a reputation for eco-consciousness, Democratic National Convention organizers and Democratic leaders are trying hard to green the convention. 

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The Long Descent: Woman’s Journey Down Baggage Belt

We often put a sarcastic or humorous spin on tales of airport woe and aggravation, but this story struck me as just plain sad. Sure, it’s unfortunate that increasingly absurd airport measures are becoming the norm, but to imagine we’re at the point where a 78-year-old woman, in a huge misunderstanding with Swedish airport personnel, considers being asked to climb in a baggage chute as a reasonable request—and does so—is just ... unreasonable. 

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First Bras, Now Bacon: Breakfast Meat Triggers Alarm

I can almost imagine how giant underwire bras might prompt an airport security brouhaha, but now bacon—that most innocuous of breakfast meats—has reportedly done it? Oh, the humanity!

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My, How Times Change: Celebrating 30 Years of Business Class Air Travel

The Times of London has an entertaining retrospective on the development of business class service over the past three decades. My favorite innovation? In 1983, Thai Airways pioneered the concept of meal selection: “So now you can choose between the Chicken Legs and the Beef Stroganoff.” Ah, those were the days.

Related on World Hum:
* The Long Descent: US Airways to Charge $2 for Soft Drinks

Photo by Natecull via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Greyhound Drivers To Limit Carry-On Baggage

More fall-out from the Greyhound beheading: according to the CBC, Greyhound bus drivers will increasingly be exercising their right to limit carry-on baggage on their routes. Under the existing regulations, it’s fair game for drivers to request all riders’ personal items be placed in storage under the bus except medicine, baby care items and books.

Related on World Hum:
* After Beheading Greyhound Kills Ad Campaign

Havasupai Tribe Closes Flood-Damaged Area of Grand Canyon

Travelers won’t be able to return to Supai Village—beloved for its remoteness, plunging waterfalls and turquoise pools—until the tribe repairs the trail that leads to the area. The Havasupai tourism office expects the repairs to take at least six months.

Related on World Hum:
* Traveling ‘Typo Vigilantes’ Sentenced in Arizona
* The Critics: The Grand Canyon Skywalk

Related on Travel Channel:
* Grand Canyon Travel Guide

Photo by truello, via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Who’s Directing the First ‘Tintin’ Movie: Spielberg or Jackson?

We noted a year ago that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson would be directing three films about the beloved rosy-cheeked adventurer, Tintin. The Hollywood Reporter noted this week that Herge Studios, which owns the rights to Tintin, said Jackson would direct the first film. However, representatives for the two directors say Spielberg will direct the first installment, Jackson the second. Hmm.

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A German ‘Eco-Wander’

Intriguing question posed by William Powers over at Slate: “If gigantic Germany could be green, couldn’t any country?” He adds: “You know, like the big one between Canada and Mexico.” To explore his query, Powers spent two weeks in Germany with a focus on green travel, accompanied by “eco-architect” Mymza Wever Azcui. Slate has his dispatches this week in another worthwhile installment of Well-Traveled.

Related on World Hum:
* Las Vegas Strip Going Eco-Friendly?
* Shipping Container Hotel Opens in London

Related on Travel Channel:
* Outdoors and Eco-Friendly Travel

The Long Descent: Air Canada’s Jazz Jettisons Life Vests to Save Fuel

I’ve said it before, but here it goes again: Airline news items these days are becoming positively Onion-esque, and this one’s no exception. Air Canada subsidiary Jazz has removed the life vests from its fleet to help shed a few pounds, the CBC reports. The floating seat cushions will remain; apparently, only one of the two devices is required on flights that remain within 50 nautical miles of the mainland. 

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FAA Communications Disruption Causes Nationwide Flight Delays

Massive flight delays are taking place across the United States today, caused by computer problems at a Federal Aviation Administration facility, CNN.com reports. The administration said there are no radar outages, and it has remained in contact with all planes. Only flights waiting to take off are being affected. “This is really not a safety issue, this is an aggravation issue,” said CNN aviation expert Miles O’Brien.

Photo by Larsz via Flickr, (Creative Commons)

‘Large Underwire Bra’ Triggers Metal Detector, Woman’s Wrath

Ladies (maybe some gents, too?), I suggest you think twice before donning an underwire bra before flying. At Oakland International Airport, a “big-busted woman wearing a large underwire bra” set off a metal detector, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, prompting what the woman, Nancy Kates, believed was overzealous and humiliating scrutiny during the routine pat down. 

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