Intelligent Travel Blog

Photo Gallery: Who Dat Nation

2010-02-09T20:25:20Z

Former Traveler intern J.T. Blatty shares some scenes from New Orleans in the midst of football euphoria.

4 . . 3 . . 2 . .1 . . 0: Mouths hang open and a look of shock plagues their faces. The Saints fans in New Orleans watch the final moments of the game in disbelief, and for ten seconds following the moment of victory, not a word is spoken. They're still trying to internalize what has just happened. For the first time in history, not only did the Saints make it to the Super Bowl--they won the Super Bowl. Tears begin to well up and roll down the cheeks of full-grown men.

People from around the world joined the "Who Dat" nation on Super Bowl Sunday, stomping their feet and singing the team's anthem to celebrate this monumental moment in New Orleans history. But it's not just about football: It's about a city that much of the world has grown to love, and one that has chosen to rise up and overcome the trying years following Hurricane Katrina.

On Tuesday, February 9th, the city will celebrate with their returning heroes. What was originally titled as the "win or lose" parade is proudly called the "Victory Parade" now. Nine floats selected from various Mardi Gras Krewes will launch from the Superdome at 5:00 p.m. and travel through the central business district on a 3.7-mile route to Mardi Gras World. This may be the last official celebration for the Saints, but a non-official celebration will remain in New Orleans for years to come.

Click through for more scenes from New Orleans.
]]>There are no fans like the Saints fans, even during their era as the "Aint's." In the suburbs of New Orleans, there are no boundaries when it comes to supporting their boys.

Locals pay their respects to Buddy Diliberto, or "Buddy D," a 50-year New Orleans sports commentator who passed away in 2005. During the days leading up to the game, locals convened at his grave in the Old Metairie Cemetery to share the celebration of a day he never lived to see. Buddy once made a vow that if the Saints should ever made it to the Super Bowl, he would wear a dress for the day. He didn't live to fulfill his vow, but the city fulfilled it for him on January 31st, when men, outfitted in dresses, paraded through the city.

Wait . . . Mardi Gras started? Friday marked the opening day of the New Orleans celebration, and this year, black, gold and "Who Dat!" paraphernalia has been integrated into the traditional purple, green, and gold decor. Outside of the downtown area, Saints specialty stores such as the Black & Gold Sports shop experienced lines for the first time. Police Officers patrolled the store area to assist with traffic and any potential thrown downs for the last size medium T-shirt.

On game day, a "Who Dat" nation formed on Bourbon Street for their own pep rally prior to kickoff. Locals, tourists, lifetime fans and bandwagon fans chanted through the streets while boasting their best black and gold spirit, even if it included decking out their dogs.

Less than fifteen minutes following the victory, the "Who Dat" nation trickles back into the streets and beelines to the French Quarter. Less than an hour later, the back-to-back, push and shove traffic normally pandemic to Bourbon Street stretches throughout the entire Quarter. High-fives slap between complete strangers, bandwagon fans embrace the "Who Dat" cheer, and the locals naturally gravitate towards each other by the tears in their eyes.

Photos: J.T. Blatty

New Orleans - Super Bowl - New Orleans Saints - Hurricane Katrina - Mardi Gras

Great Backyard Bird Count

2010-02-09T19:10:34Z

Casual birders take note: This weekend is your chance to contribute to some serious scientific research. Alison Brick has the details.

There are certain times when you realize that the phrase "in your own backyard" really covers some ground, and this weekend is one of them. The 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will run from Friday, February 12 through Monday, February 15, and you're invited to join in. The project relies on us "citizen scientists" to count birds in our own neighborhoods for a comprehensive, real-time snapshot of bird populations across North America.

The results from the count will help researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and the Bird Studies Canada. From the data, they can learn about year-to-year changes in the abundance and distribution of birds, patterns of migration, and trends that can be used to study how birds are affected by urbanization, global climate change, and disease. This survey is purposefully taken in February, before the spring migrations begin in March.

During last year's count, 93,600 checklists were submitted online, with 5,519 coming from Pennsylvania alone. The number of species observed added up to 619, and the number of individual birds counted was 11.5 million. Almost 6,000 bird photos were submitted as part of the project, as well.

Anyone can participate, both bird enthusiasts and novices alike. You can count for as little as 15 minutes or a few hours; just once or several times over the four-day event; from your backyard feeder or a local wildlife refuge.
]]>regional bird checklist and data form. Then start your count. You'll want to record the highest number of birds in a species that you see together at one time. (i.e. If you see a group of 12 red-winged blackbirds, then a group of 20, then a group of 6, just record 20 because some of them will probably be repeats.) If you see a bird you can't identify, you can check the free online bird guide on All About Birds, which gives you descriptions, photos, and sound recordings, or download one of the many birdwatching apps to your phone, like the National Geographic's Handheld Birds. Then transfer your tallies to the online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website by Monday, March 1.

You can also enter a photo contest, which is judged in six categories: overall, bird in its habitat, behavior, group shot, composition, and people enjoying birds. Winning entries will be rewarded with bird feeders, binoculars, books, and CDs.

Photo: BirdSource.org

Birdwatching - Bird - National Audubon Society - Recreation - United States

Bus2Antarctica: Bolivian Border Control

2010-02-09T16:45:58Z

Andrew Evans provides a cinematic retelling of the story of his border crossing into Bolivia.

Screenplay for a short film. All dialogue takes place in Spanish with English subtitles.

The setting is the tumbledown Peru-Bolivia border town of Desaguadero, on the shores of breathtaking Lake Titicaca. Pan across the bright blue watery expanse and the brown Andes Mountains, then down to the fields of yellow flowers and rows of reed boats drawn up on the lakeshore. Camera sweeps through the muddy streets of the Peruvian village, past burros carrying colorful loads and into a colorful Latin American market squalor.

Subtitle briefly flashes onto screen, announcing: "Based on a true story."

Protagonist AE steps off a red and green bus sporting a six-week beard. He stretches his legs and squints at the sun. Suddenly a woman's voice cries out.

Bus Attendant (BA): "Hey you--Americano! Come with me and we'll walk across the bridge into Bolivia."

AE: "But, why?"

BA [hurries over and explains, whispering]: "The Peruvian police, they stop all the foreigners and try to take money from them. Just don't look at them. Just look right ahead, keep walking and stay close to me. If you're with me they won't bother you."
]]>AE follows behind the bus attendant, trying to take in all the sights around him as he walks across a single-lane bridge and towards a giant sign reading, "Welcome to Bolivia." He pauses and looks back at Peru longingly, followed by a quick flashback sequence to all the good times he had in that country. He then glances up to the tri-color Bolivian flag fluttering in the high-altitude wind. Having reached the other side, the attendant suddenly disappears into the crowd, leaving AE all alone in a new land.

The traveler looks around before setting off to a cement box of a building with a sign that reads. "Migración." Inside, everything is quite dark, the floorboards creak and dust swirls in the sun streaming through the windows. AE steps up to the first window and presents a passport, bent into the shape of his front pocket.

Bolivian Border Official #1 [sitting bored behind a scratched plexiglass window with a hole cut in it, looks up briefly, then looks down again and waves his hand]: Other window.

AE steps over to the other window and presents his passport again.

Bolivian Border Official #2 [Same uniform as BBO #1 but shorter, with a moustache]: American? That's not me. Go to that window over there.

Bolivian Border Official #3: [Same uniform as BBO #1 & #2 but older, with a moustache]. Says nothing, just nods to yet another desk.

Bolivian Border Official #4 [Same uniform as BBO #1, 2, & 3. Nondescript]: You have a visa?

AE: No. Where do I get I visa?

Border Official #4: In Peru.

AE: I just left Peru. They said I could get a visa here.

Border Official #4: You can. Over there. Points down a dark, dusty hallway.

AE creaks across the floorboards, past tattered maps of Bolivia, past a glossy calendar of the new president, Evo Morales and a painted insignia for the Bolivian Border Patrol. He pokes his head through a window.

Border Official #5 [same uniform, same moustache]. Says nothing. Looks up and points to the desk that's three feet away from his desk.

Border Official #6 [same uniform, etc.] What?

AE: I need a visa. Border Official #6: In Peru. Nods back to the bridge.

AE [Defiantly]: Yes, but I was told I can get one here.

Border Official #6: You can. He pushes back his chair noisily and escorts AE down another hall, knocks on a door and then shoves it open. Behind a desk sits a young man in similar uniform, Border Official #7. #6 and #7 talk back and forth, then #6 leaves.

Border Official #7: You need a visa, right?

AE: Yes, please.

Border Official #7: That's a hundred and thirty-five dollars.

AE: Correct. Can I pay with a credit card?

Border Official #7: No [Shakes his head]. Cash only. Can you pay?

AE: Yeah, I can pay cash. Uhm, I have to undress a little first. Right here?

Border Official #7 nods with encouragement and then looks down and begins the paperwork. Andrew slips off his belt in an unintentional strip tease, unzips his pants and then turns away before his hand reveals an origami one hundred dollar bill. He unfolds until Benjamin Franklin's head comes into focus and places it on the desk with two crisp twenties.

Border Official #7 [stares at each bill carefully, then shakes his head]: No, no. Can't do it. See this here? [points to one of the twenty dollar bills] It's too worn. I can't accept it.

AE: This is American money carried all the way from America. It's good.

Border Official #7 [still shaking head]: No good. Can't take it.

AE: But I don't have any other cash . . . [remembering] except these leftover Peruvian Soles [pulls out a colored wad of cash]. Can I just pay you the difference?

Border Official #7: You could go change the Soles for dollars.

AE: Where can I change Soles for dollars?

Border Official #7: In Peru [nods back towards the bridge AE has just crossed]

AE: But I'm in Bolivia now. I already left Peru. [flustered into speaking even worse Spanish] Peru, Finito.

Border Official #7: Go change the money. You only need $15 more. Don't worry. I'll keep your passport until you come back. It's safe.

AE: No, I'll take it with me and then come back later. AE has serious trust issues with immigration officials. Theme music plays in minor key.

Border Official #7: No, I'll keep it.

AE: But if I'm going back to Peru, don't I need it?

Border Official #7: No. Nobody uses passports around here.

AE [takes a chance and leaves his passport. He does not go back to Peru but instead walks around the mud puddles of the Bolivian border patrol, looking up and down for moneychangers--normally more numerous than pigeons in a park but today suddenly elusive. He finally runs into an old, wrinkled Aymara Indian woman holding a wad of cash.] I need to change Peruvian Soles for American dollars.

She says nothing, just flips through her wad and hands him two bills: a twenty and a five. He inspects the twenty but fears the dirty crease will make it untenable. He returns it and asks for a better twenty-dollar bill. The moneychanger refuses but he persists. Finally she pulls a perfect, unused twenty and reluctantly hands it over. He holds it up to the bright Bolivian sun to inspect the security strip inside the paper. The bill is good.

AE takes the bill and runs back to Migración, past Border Official # 1,2,3,4,5, and 6, then opens the door to #7's office. Panting from the high altitude exhaustion, he places the new twenty on the desk. Border Official #7 looks it over, holds it up in the light and then puts it away. He carries on with the paper work, handing form after form to AE to fill out. It takes a very long time. AE watches as Border Official #7 takes great care and glues in a rainbow-colored square of paper into his passport page, then stamps it once, twice, three times.

Finally, Border Official # 7 hands over the passport, two long paper forms, and three more pieces of paper. He gets up from his desk and guides him over to another door that opens to another room where sits Border Official #8, looking older and wiser. It is understood that this is El Jefe--the chief. The man motions for AE to sit down, then looks through all the papers slowly. He stamps the passport once, twice, three, four, FIVE times--each with a different shaped stamp, then hands the passport back to AE. AE is relieved, smiling even.

El Jefe: Now take this passport and make two photocopies. One of the visa page and another of the page with your picture on it.

AE: Really? [AE wonders why they can't just make the photocopy here at Migración, but then realizes that maybe they don't have a photocopy machine. He feels bad for them, but just wants this to be done.]

AE: Where can I get photocopies?

El Jefe: In Peru. AE: I can't go back--they've already . . . [He does a hand motion of a passport getting stamped since he doesn't know how to say, "they exit stamped me."]

El Jefe: Yes you can. Facil. Everybody does it.

AE is remarkably flustered. He grabs his passport, runs past Border Official #7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, but not 1 (who is understood to be on break) and then outside. For a minute he pauses in the sun, passport in hand, wondering if he should even comply with El Jefe's request. Would it even make a difference? He has his passport. He explains the conundrum to a fellow Bolivian passenger from the waiting bus who explains that no, it is quite necessary to comply. The two of them go in search of a place to make photocopies. There are none in Bolivia, and so they walk back across the bridge into Peru, ignoring both the police and immigration. In Peru they run up to every shop with a sign that says "Fotocopias". The first is closed, the second lied, they don't have a copier. The third says they used to have a photocopier, the fourth is closed. The fifth is a tiny pharmacy with a broken down copier but also a scanner that can make copies. First it has to warm up.

AE is highly impatient but must wait a good ten minutes for the scanner to heat up. Finally, the man behind the counter takes his passport and makes two scanned copies of his passport.

Photocopy guy: That's 3 Soles.

AE: I don't have any more Peruvian Soles but I can pay you in Bolivianos.

Photocopy guy: Go change the money into Soles. I only take Soles.

Right then, the fellow bus passenger reaches over the counter and pays the guy his 3 Soles. AE thanks him, grabs the photocopies and runs back through the town and across the bridge and back over the border. For the third time, Andrew enters Bolivian Migración and gets recognized nods and from Border Officials #1 (back from break), 2, 3, 4, (but not #5 who is now on break), 6, and then 7, who leads him back into El Jefe's office. Panting, having just ran a half-mile at 13,500 feet altitude, AE hands El Jefe the two photocopies. The border patrol officer nods and takes the papers and adds them to a pile on his desk. Ninety minutes have passed since Andrew first crossed the bridge to Bolivia.

El Jefe [looking up and smiling]: Welcome to Bolivia.

Cue title score, music swells.

Andrew has just crossed over the Chilean border, to find out how it went, follow his Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and track the map of his journey here. Bookmark all of his blog posts here, see videos here, and get the full story on the project here. Photos by Andrew Evans.

Peru - Bolivia - South America - Travel and Tourism - Travel Services

Daily Radar: 02.09.10

2010-02-09T13:00:00Z

While living in New Zealand, I developed a love for Cadbury Moro bars (tip: try them deep-fried in Dunedin) but alas, I cannot taste their chocolatey goodness outside the Southern Hemisphere. For those of you who have a love for a certain foreign treat, check out Steve.Portigal's Musuem of Foreign Groceries on Flickr, and you might just find a photo of foreign food you've been looking for. [Gadling]
More airports across Europe are joining the effort to reduce their carbon emissions. The Airport Carbon Accreditation has awarded four different levels (Mapping, Reduction, Optimization and Neutrality) of accreditation to seven airports in the past couple months, including Manchester Airport, Athens International Airport, SEA Milan Airport, and Italy's Bologna Airport. To read more, click here. [Enviro.aero]

Photo: andreakw via Flickr

New Zealand - Southern Hemisphere - Dunedin - Business - United States

Bus2Antarctica: Bus 2 Bolivia

2010-02-08T20:00:58Z

Altitude sickness, dueling ventilation systems, popped tires and more awaited Andrew Evans as he boarded his bus to travel to Bolivia.

Some buses are better than others.

In South America, bus companies attract passengers based on levels of bus quality, comfort, security, entertainment, and sleeping space. When leaving Lima I chose the Peruvian bus company Ormeño because I had already taken them in Ecuador and liked their big buses and nice service. The bus line also holds a Guinness World Record for the longest single stage commercial bus route in the world (from Lima to Buenos Aires--72 hours). I thought it was fitting that they be a part of my journey to Antarctica.

Unfortunately, my 30-hour bus journey from Lima to La Paz was lacking in many of the comforts advertised. Strangely (and ironically), the heat was turned on while we were crossing the blazing Peruvian desert. Then at night, when the temperature dropped to near freezing, the air conditioning came on good and strong while the heat remained. I was baking below my waist and shivering above--an odd sensation.
]]>

To make matters worse, we were climbing from sea level (in Arequipa) up to Peru's altiplano in the Andes--a beautiful high altitude plain some 12,000 feet above sea level. On the way, many passengers began showing signs of altitude sickness. As a preventative measure, I asked the bus attendant for some coca tea. She finally relented, but made me drink it in secret so that they other passengers wouldn't see (because then they all would want some). After some 20 hours (without stopping), our bus popped a tire and we were forced to stop. Passengers spilled out into the open plain and tried to keep warm in the cold mountain air.

My fellow passenger Sara Améstegui described our trip as her "worst travel experience ever." She and her family were returning to Cochobamba in Bolivia after a month-long vacation in Colombia--I enjoyed traveling with them. Sara had just graduated from college with a degree in communications, and she speaks English very well, so I'll just let her explain our trip in her own words. (For the record, the "seat partner" to whom she is referring was not me.)

Andrew is currently in Rio Gallegos. Follow his Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and the map of his journey here. Bookmark all of his blog posts here, see videos here, and get the full story on the project here. Photo and video by Andrew Evans.

South America - Bolivia - Bus - Peru - Buenos Aires

A Galapagos Post Office (Without Stamps)

2010-02-08T19:00:26Z

WiFi's ever-extended reach has changed the way we travel--we upload photos and videos to our Facebook pages while we're on vacation, or tweet our way through a day at the beach. One unfortunate side effect to all this connectivity is the dropoff in my postcard-writing. Yes, I still love jotting down these short notes, but I find that they typically arrive so far after I've returned that it's anti-climactic in a way. So I loved the sentiments behind a recent article in the Washington Post about a unique mailbox in the Galapagos. Despite not using postage, a fair share of its postcards actually beat their travelers home, in part because they're hand delivered.

It turns out that this barrel, located in Post Office Bay on Floreana Island, has relied on kindhearted strangers to be its mail carriers for centuries; it was first used by English whalers who were hoping to get correspondence back to their families. Today people drop off their well-intended missives in the box, and travelers rifle through them, looking for one that's addressed within delivery distance from their home. Upon returning, they will seek out the recipient, and explain the story behind the barrel, and ensure that card is delivered by hand.

Have you sent or received a post card from Floreana Island? What was your story?

[Washington Post]

Photo: Andrea Sachs/ Washington Post

Facebook - Wi-Fi - Post office - Recreation - WiFi

Follow the Yukon Quest

2010-02-08T17:40:21Z

The 26th annual Yukon Quest--a 1,000-mile dogsled race from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory--began this past Saturday, February 6. The trail follows the Gold Rush and mail delivery dog sledding routes of the early 20th century. As of today, many of the dog sled teams (each made up of one man and 14 dogs) have passed Mile 101 (check out this video of the resting point) and are now resting in Circle City.

You can follow the teams' progress through photos and video on the Yukon Quest website. The teams are expected to finish the race on February 19.

Photo: Yukon White Light via Flickr

Yukon - Yukon Quest - Gold Rush - Canada - Whitehorse Yukon

Daily Radar: 02.08.10

2010-02-08T13:00:00Z

Share the road: The Huffington Post has a great round-up of bike lanes around the world, from New York to Copenhagen. Plus, learn more about what cities are doing to encourage people to bike in the March issue of Traveler. [Huffington Post]
New Zealand sure knows how to age its whiskey. The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust found five cases of Scotch in Antarctica from an expedition led by explorer Ernest Shackleton in 1909. The crates were found buried underneath the floorboards of a hut used by Shackleton's team. Now, that's having Scotch on the rocks. [Huffington Post]

Photo: Spacing Magazine via Flickr

Huffington Post - New Zealand - Antarctic - New York City - Copenhagen

Bus2Antarctica Video: Lima on Wheels

2010-02-06T15:50:47Z

Andrew Evans offers a glimpse of skateboarding culture in Lima, Peru.

As I was wandering Peru's capital city, I found myself drawn to Miguel Grau Park in the neighborhood of Miraflores. The view of the Pacific Ocean from the top of such high cliffs is simply enchanting--and what did I find on the other side? An open-access skate park that was busy with some serious skateboarding and freestyle biking. Maybe it's because I'm traveling to Antarctica primarily on wheels, but I had to stop and catch the some of the ramp and half-pipe action.

Skateboarding culture is fairly universal but the way country and city governments react to it varies widely. I was impressed that Lima offered such a quality park for free and even more impressed by some of Peru's professional skateboarders who were there giving free lessons to novices. I snatched this quick video so that you skaters out there know what you're up against in Lima.

Andrew is back on the bus and traveling through Argentina. Follow his Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and the map of his journey here. Bookmark all of his blog posts here, see videos here, and get the full story on the project here. Photos by Andrew Evans.

Peru - Lima - Pacific Ocean - South America - Miraflores District Lima

Bus2Antarctica: Loving Lima

2010-02-05T21:30:11Z

Andrew Evans explains how he learned to love Lima, Peru. For more on Lima, click here.

In Spanish, the word "Lima" means "under construction." OK, that's not true. Really, I think it derives from the ancient Inca phrase meaning "perpetual traffic." Alright, that's another lie--but honestly, those were my first two impressions of Lima when I arrived.

Maybe it's because I'd been sitting on buses for 30 consecutive hours and was a little bit cranky. After a 621 miles of desert (that's 1000 kilometers down here), I stared out the window at what I hoped would be my own special urban oasis and jumped to some harsh conclusions. I immediately shot out a tweet that Lima was "the brownest city in the world." Everything I could see was brown--the ground (no grass), the buildings (brown brick)--even the overcast rainy season sky was filled with dust and shone a kind of dull brown-grey.

Let me be clear: I am not on a sightseeing trip. Rather, I'm on a "seeing" trip. I am traveling 10,000 miles on an open itinerary with the ultimate goal of Antarctica--I just try to see what I can see along the way. Admittedly, it's been hard to pass up wonders like Machu Pichu or the greater Amazon, yet the real glory of travel is the unexpected things that pop up all along the way.

Lima is what popped up along my way and I was coping with that. Thankfully, my attitude changed thanks to a hot shower, a little nap, a 14th-story view from my very splendid hotel, the Crowne Plaza, and some bona fide Peruvian food. Now I know that Lima has all kinds of fabulous museums and galleries and old world colonial architecture and is rich in all aspects of Peruvian culture, but I only had two days and lots of chores to do. I've discovered that when I'm not on a bus, then I'm recovering from the last bus or else getting ready for the next bus. For me, Lima was simply a very large and noisy rest stop on the road to Antarctica.
]]>Still, I took the time to see what I could of Lima and enjoy the process. No, I didn't sightsee--I merely went out in search of what this city was all about. What I found is that Lima is a wonderful city if you like rectangles. Everything is quite rectangular and I did appreciate some of the great modern buildings that are stacked up along the coast. I also learned that Lima is a great city for traffic cops, bricklayers, taxi drivers, chefs, foodies, surfers, skateboarders, and graffiti artists. It's not a good city for commuters or anyone else in a hurry.

Personally, I connected with Lima in two ways: food and chaos. I like to eat good food and Lima likes to make good food. Lima's layout is also completely chaotic--even my taxi drivers kept getting lost or not knowing the name of a street. I found that touching.

Thanks to advice by friends on Twitter and Facebook, I located some outstanding Peruvian restaurants and dipped into what is considered to be South America's greatest cuisine. My favorite restaurant was La Red where I indulged in grilled octopus tacu tacu and ate a heavenly bowl of fresh fish ceviche marinated in lemon and chili. Food is definitely Lima's forte.

As for the chaos, I just went with the flow and walked the chaotic streets, making sure to look both ways about five times. Somehow, the streets led me to the sea, where I stood atop the high cliffs of Lima and watched an army of surfers the size of ants catching waves several hundred feet down below. I was amazed by the number of green parks along the coast and by the bike lanes that were all being used. I realized that despite the chaos, Lima's urban planners have figured out a few ways to deal with its huge population of eight million.

I like cities and I like traveling in cities. Lima is a kind of pulsating, overgrown city that counters any urban unpleasantness with its man-made charms. In two days I learned to love Lima--kind of like that weird plant in your backyard that you can't kill so you just give into it and enjoy the flowers when they come. In my last hours in Lima, I got myself good and lost in the jungle of concrete and asphalt at the edge of Miraflores. When I was done exploring the back alleyways and bricked up shops of that quarter, I found a taxi whose driver said he knew how to get to my hotel. He was right--he did know--but he couldn't take me there because there was too much traffic. After ten blocks I paid him and walked all the way back. I picked up my laundry from across the street, rode the elevator to my 14th floor room and then watched the sun set over a pretty row of rectangles.

Andrew is back on the bus and traveling through Argentina. Follow his Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and the map of his journey here. Bookmark all of his blog posts here, see videos here, and get the full story on the project here. Photos by Andrew Evans.

Peru - South America - Inca civilization - Spanish language - Departments

Give Your Kids a Camera

2010-02-05T20:30:06Z

Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. This year, he's back with a new column that focuses on traveling with kids.

Lots of parents, myself included, are concerned about what affects all the electronics--and the digital age in general-- are having on our children. Even though I've had success limiting their time playing video games, my sons seem to have discovered a newfound interest in computers, and it probably won't be long until their curiosity with cell phones turns into full-blown obsession.

There is a new technology, however, that I fully encourage my boys to use as often as their little hearts desire: a digital camera. Fortunately, this didn't require a whole lot of coercing when we traveled around the world last year. In fact, they were so into shooting that when Tyler accidentally broke his camera about halfway through the trip, we may as well have gone home if we didn't get him a new one right then and there.

So for your next trip together as a family, go ahead and try to leave all the kids' electronic devices at home (unless, of course, you have a long flight or car ride on the itinerary, in which case you may want to reconsider), but make sure they pack the digital camera. And if they don't have one, you may seriously want to think about heading to an electronics store. Even if you already own one yourself, I wouldn't recommend sharing it with your child/children, since 1) they won't be nearly as engaged if they have to keep asking you for it, and 2) one of you is going to be upset that they missed "the shot" while the other blissfully fired away at the whales that breached out of the water just 100 feet from your boat.

]]>The good news for budget-minded parents is that these purchases don't need to be expensive. In fact, I would argue that kids actually prefer the less expensive, more compact models. The Lumix DMC-ZS1 that we bought to replace the permanently damaged Fuji E900 was only $250, and included every feature Tyler wanted, especially the 12x optical zoom and the special effects and macro settings. There are certainly less expensive and pricier options to choose from, and you can contact me with any questions you might have. Stefan used a Nikon D40 that I had before upgrading to the more 'professional' D300. It's an easy to use digital SLR, which he loved, but unless you have a son or daughter who's interested in the finer techniques used for more challenging photography, (which very well might happen as they get more into it), a simple point-and-shoot is really all you need. What's more, their compact size make them convenient to carry and won't intimidate them with all the dials and options of more advanced models. Most importantly, the quality of the images you get these days from even the simplest of cameras is pretty impressive, so there's no need to break the bank for awesome looking pictures.

But ultimately, it's about allowing your children to have some fun. One of the biggest considerations for parents planning a family trip is if their kids will enjoy it and have a good time. Sure, it's ultimately about spending quality time together and experiencing new things, but since most kids are fascinated with electronics to begin with, digital photography will keep them entertained no matter where you go. Whether it's taking funny pictures of some of the people they meet or creating abstract photos of famous tourist attractions (see Tyler's interpretation of the Grand Palace in Bangkok), they'll naturally get more curious and interested in their new surroundings, and have an appreciation for the places you go and the things you do...and all this while learning a new life-skill and nurturing artistic expression in the process. Now just make sure not to forget the charger and spare batteries!

Tune in again next week when Rainer shares some photo tips for children he picked up from some of his friends at National Geographic. You can follow Rainer on Twitter @JenssTravel.

Photos: Above, Rainer Jenss; Below, Tyler Jenss

Photography - Arts - Digital camera - Shopping - Home

Presented By:

2010-02-05T20:30:06Z

Who Dat? Watching the Super Bowl in New Orleans

2010-02-05T19:00:11Z

With Carnival season in full swing and the Saints heading to the Super Bowl this Sunday, New Orleans is ready to party. We asked local blogger G.K. Darby to share some of the best spots for watching the game.

New Orleans native Corey Woods of the Nine Times Social and Pleasure Club* has a phrase for when someone really puts on a party: "wiping it down." "Did you 'wipe it down?'" he might ask. For the past few days New Orleanians--of every shape and stripe--have been wiping the town down.

It's hard to find a person in New Orleans who isn't drinking or eating to excess with overwrought, tear-filled faces. The city is about to blow a gasket. Overblown sport narratives deserve a special place in misery along with holiday parade coverage and entertainment "news," but this town has chosen to use the Saints' triumph as a bookend. Mired in a permanent state of reform since 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the city has yearned for the storm days to be over, and the Saints, epic losers for 42 years, have miraculously provided a finish.

The night the Saints clinched their Super Bowl spot on Sunday, January 24th, music filled every intersection--brass bands led spontaneous, rambling parades, shutting down major city boulevards. The city didn't sleep. The next day the local daily newspaper ran a poll: "What excuse did you give your boss to stay home today?" "Working from home" got 17 percent of the vote.

Carnival started on January 6, it's been building with street parades and ridiculous cotillion balls ever since. Mardi Gras day is Tuesday, February 16. The Mayoral election is scheduled for Saturday, February 6. The Mystic Krewe [Carnival Club] of Barkus will go ahead with its parade on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, at 1 p.m. Barkus is a dog parade--dogs in carnival costume. The theme? "The Dogs Go Barking In." Everyone is wondering if anyone will show up to vote.

So where will New Orleanians watch the game? (Everything is closing except the bars where people have traditionally watched the Saints.) Here are a few spots where you'll find yourself in pleasant company.]]>

Liuzza's By the Track (1518 North Lopez Street) has two small un-sports-bar-like televisions, but attracts a fervent group of locals, like Abram Shalom Himelstein, who works as a writer at the Fairgrounds horse track a couple blocks away. He's not a big football fan and usually listens halfheartedly on the AM radio. But for the last game Himelstein stood nervously at the foot of Liuzza's bar as the Saints improbably pulled out a win against the Minnesota Vikings. Per Louisiana superstition, he will be standing in the same spot on Super Bowl Sunday.

Port of Call (838 Esplanade Avenue) has one television tucked into a corner. The "L" shaped bar makes most bar stools "obstruction view" seats, and yet a healthy group of locals make it to this tiki and burger bar for every game. New Orleans is dominated by icky fruit cocktails, but Port of Call has the best.

New Orleans' most enthusiastic trumpet player, Kermit Ruffins, owns Sidney's Saloon (1200 Saint Bernard Avenue). Expect a spontaneous blast of local live music to emanate from Sidney's if the Saints somehow beat the Colts. Ruffins has a giant fleur-di-lis tattooed across his chest.

Erin Rose (811 Conti Street) is a French Quarter bar with a NASCAR theme that counts strippers, punks, deliverymen, and lawyers as its dedicated clientele. On Super Bowl Sunday they will have free food.

Win or lose, a "Saints Super Bowl Parade" will roll on Tuesday, February 9, starting at 5 p.m. at the Louisiana Superdome (1500 Sugar Bowl Drive). The plan is to have the Saints players ride on a series of floats donated by various Carnival Krewes from across the city.

*In the late 1800s social aid and pleasure clubs, largely made up of African-Americans, were created to pool resources to help pay for hardship and funeral expenses. In contemporary times, these clubs have dropped their insurance function and instead worked to unify neighborhoods through community work and second line parades.

Photo: Above, JustUptown, via Creative Commons on Flickr; Two shots below, G.K. Darby

Super Bowl - New Orleans - New Orleans Saints - Sports - NFL

Kurt Vonnegut's Indianapolis

2010-02-05T17:30:22Z

Mention Indianapolis these days and many of us think of Peyton Manning and the Colts. In fact, the city has become a major sports town, with established pro football and basketball teams, the Indy 500, and the headquarters of the NCAA. But Indianapolis also has a literary side--as the hometown of author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. As he said in 1986 to a high school audience in his town, "All my jokes are Indianapolis. All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis."

Vonnegut claimed that many of his beliefs derived from his education in the public schools of the city: "I simply never unlearned junior civics. I still believe in it." And he began his writing career editing the Tuesday edition of The Shortridge High School Echo.
]]>refused to join the family business. He became an architect instead and designed Das Deutsche Haus (above), which is known as the Athenaeum today and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is thought of as "the best preserved and most elaborate building associated with the German American community of Indianapolis." Germans immigrated to Indiana in large numbers during the second half of the 19th century, and Bernard Vonnegut played a role in transforming the Indianapolis community to represent this new German flavor. The building originally housed a German gymnastics club after its completion in 1898. It was renamed "Athenaeum" during the world wars because of anti-German sentiment.

The writer's father continued the family tradition, designing many important Indianapolis buildings. Kurt Vonnegut, Sr., oversaw the moving of the Indiana Bell Telephone Company building (now the SBC building) to a new location in 1930. He and his team were able to move this eight-story building 52 feet south, rotate it 90 degrees, and then move it 100 feet west so it would face Meridian Street downtown. They were able to keep the entire building, including the over 500 long-distance telephone circuits, in full service during the move, which took just under a month. The building has been added to since, but it retains its original bones and still sits at 240 N. Meridian Street (north of Monument Circle, not far from both Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse).

Vonnegut grew up on Illinois Street and attended Public School No. 43 (the James Whitcomb Riley School). The Vonnegut Room in the Athenaeum is dedicated to the family.

Image: Seth Gaines via Creative Commons on Flickr

Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts - Mention Indianapolis - Kurt Vonnegut - American

Bus2Antarctica Video: Peru with a View

2010-02-05T16:00:13Z

Andrew Evans gives us a glimpse from the bus as it drives through Peru's Sechura Desert.

Of all the borders I've crossed on this trip, the most drastic change I've felt so far was crossing from Ecuador to Peru. After days of lush green banana plantations and tropical lowland jungle, I entered the Sechura Desert--one of the driest places on earth. The vegetation disappeared completely and what started as a bare sandy horizon soon transformed into a flowing wall of dramatic sand dunes on either side. I felt like I'd been dropped into the world's biggest sand box and as I watched out the window, the wind blew the sand into new drifts and patterns. This desert lasted through nearly 20 hours of bus time--all the way to Lima in fact. Everyone on board was busy watching a silly Japanese movie and so I retreated to the bathroom to try and film some of what we were passing through.

Andrew is back on the bus and traveling through Argentina. Follow his Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and the map of his journey here. Bookmark all of his blog posts here, see videos here, and get the full story on the project here. Video by Andrew Evans.

Peru - Ecuador - Sechura Desert - South America - Travel

Daily Radar: 02.05.10

2010-02-05T13:00:00Z

Omni Hotels is offering rooms for $144 per night in both Indianapolis and New Orleans (above) in celebration of the Super Bowl this weekend. Better yet, travelers who book the "Go Indy, Go Big Easy" package and are staying in a room in the winning city will receive their room night for free! For more information, visit OmniHotels.com.
Greyhound might not be as cheap as the Bolt Bus or MegaBus, but right now the bus company is offering $5 tickets on all seats between New York and Philadelphia. For more information and to book, visit www.greyhound.com.
Attention Bank of America card holders. Did you know that you can get free access to dozens of museums on the first weekend of every month? Museums include the Crocker Museum of Art in Sacramento, the Miami Art Museum, New Jersey's Morris Museum, and Seattle's Museum of History and Industry. For the complete list of museums and more information, click here.

Photo: Omni Hotels

Super Bowl - New Orleans - Indianapolis - Museum - Arts and Entertainment