Intelligent Travel

To Get to the Other Side

Travel writer Andrew Evans recently returned from a trip to Panama, where his dreams of a cross-continental stroll were dashed...

All I wanted to do was to walk across the bridge. That’s all. And yet it almost got me arrested. 

Let me explain: I love crossing borders, especially on foot. I think anyone who loves maps knows what I’m talking about. Stepping from one country into the next is kind of exciting, right? I don’t need to skydive or bungee jump to get a thrill. Just let me stand with one foot in each country and be in two places at once.  And why stop there?  Why not up the ante and walk between two continents? Well, because you can’t, that’s why. I know because I tried. 

On a recent assignment to Panama City, I paid a taxi to drop me off in North America so I could walk back to South America. What’s more, the ride took exactly five minutes and only cost me two bucks. We simply drove across the Bridge of the Americas and over the Panama Canal. Man, was I excited—here I was, about to cross the waterway that links the world’s two great oceans while separating the two American landmasses. It was a glorious moment, the Pacific Ocean was shining in the distance and rows of giant cargo ships were lining up to pass under the bridge and on to the Atlantic. I raised my foot in North America when a uniformed soldier started yelling at me. Then he was running at me, machine gun in hand. 

Traveling in the Muslim World during Ramadan

There’s barely a few hours left of Ramadan this year, but we thought we’d pause to consider what Ramadan is all about and what it’s like to be a non-Muslim traveling in the Muslim world during this most sacred month.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It’s the time during which the Qu’ran was revealed to Muhammad. During Ramadan, all able-bodied adults abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and all physical and moral profanity during the day.

Muslims fast from dawn to dusk to practice humility, patience, and sacrifice and to fulfill Sawm, the Fourth Pillar of Islam. Many claim it’s a cleansing experience, one that helps Muslims focus on the needs of others and increase their charitable contributions. Others feel Ramadan has an equalizing effect on the community; taxi driver and royalty alike must fast and may be more hungry, grouchy, and lethargic than normal. Ramadan unifies the community.

Non-Muslims need not fast during Ramadan but it’s important to respect the customs and faith of those around you. In some nations, such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, Ramadan may barely be noticeable, while in more conservative nations such as Libya, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, much is changed during this time.

Keep these tips in mind while traveling in the Muslim world during Ramadan:

Babar the Globetrotting Elephant

Continuing our coverage of childhood nostalgia that has inspired us to travel, friend of IT Amelia Mularz sends us a dispatch from the wilds of New York City, where a venerable elephant has taken up residence for the next few months.

In a world inhabited by Bratz dolls, it’s nice to be reminded of an old childhood classic like Babar, the globetrotting elephant. There is a certain sophistication surrounding Babar and his simple green suit that more modern day children’s characters can’t touch (we’re going to ignore for the moment the fact that Babar married his cousin). Now until January 4th, The Morgan Library & Museum in New York hosts an exhibition in honor of the animal kingdom’s most famous world traveler. Drawing Babar: Early Drafts and Watercolors takes visitors back to 1931, when the French painter Jean de Brunhoff first created Babar, then to 1946, when Laurent de Brunhoff took over several years after his father’s death.

The exhibit features the working drafts of each artist’s first Babar book, which makes for an interesting comparison in method between father and son. Not to mention, it’s fun to look back at Babar’s travels from the jungle to a Parisian-like city, on a family vacation around the world, and even into outer space. And after almost 80 years, Babar is still on the road. Just last month Laurent de Brunhoff published Babar’s USA. If only Babar could show those Bratz girls there’s a whole world outside the local mall. 

Read More: The New Yorker's Adam Gopnick recently reviewed the exhibit, and discussed the pro-colonialization interpretation of the books and the way it has fit into the canon of children's literature from the past century.

Has a storybook character from your childhood inspired you to travel? Let us know in the comments.

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Vote for NatGeo at TripAdvisor

Allow us a moment of self-promotion if you will: National Geographic Society has been chosen by TripAdvisor as one of five travel-related initiatives around the world with a chance to win up to $1 million. The opportunity is part of TripAdvisor’s cause marketing program, “More Than Footprints.” For each vote cast on TripAdvisor’s Web site from now until November 9, the company will make a donation to NGS. You can vote for NG here.

NGS is being recognized for “Geographic Discovery and Exploration,” which was identified by TripAdvisor members as one of their favorite travel-related causes. From their site:

Some examples of National Geographic's work to sustain cultures, habitats and heritage include the Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, The Enduring Voices Program, Photo Camp, The All Roads Project and the Genographic Legacy Fund.

Take a moment to click and support National Geographic's efforts!

Cinematic Road Trip: Virginia

John Ur is a lover, not a fighter. So it's fitting that this week's stop along the Cinematic Road Trip is in the great state of Virginia.

I always thought it was strange that, as the saying goes, Virginia is for lovers. If I were not a lover, would Virginia still be for me? If you are a lover, but live outside of Virginia, are you considered an outcast? Isn’t Virginia for recreating history in period outfits? I would love to see some sociological studies on these subjects.

But perhaps Virginia is for lovers because like love, the state is home to many peaks and valleys. It's surprisingly diverse geographically for an Eastern state. Starting at the coastline on the east, the state rises up to the southwest mountains and the foothills of the Appalachians. The highest point in the state, Mount Rogers, is contained in the Blue Ridge Mountains a bit further to the west. It's also home to a wide swath of rivers and forests that make up the Shenandoah Valley, which are easily explored in Shenandoah National Park.

Many women already find the mountainous region of Virginia romantic without even knowing it. This is where a portion of Dirty Dancing was filmed. The Mountain Lake Hotel in Pembroke, Virginia served as “Kellerman’s Resort” in the film (and was once visited by fellow IT blogger Janelle). Cottages and hotel rooms are available at the resort as well as “Dirty Dancing Weekend” packages which include film location tours, trivia and dance lessons. But don’t look to try to recreate the scene where Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Grey over his head in the lake… You’d have to drive about 230 miles south from Pembroke to Lake Lure, NC, where that scene was filmed.

"Will the Simpsons Ever Become Eco-Tourists?"

The ever-popular Simpsons have won seven Environmental Media awards, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show (which aired Sunday, Sept. 28), our brother blog Pop Omnivore wrangled an exclusive interview with the eco-savviest Simpson, know-it-all Lisa. 

Find out the surprising answers to hard-hitting questions like: Why did Homer dismantle his 80-foot “Beer-amid”? And will the Simpsons ever become eco-tourists? Read Pop Omnivore's interview to find out.

Okay, here's one excerpt from the interview. National Enquirer, eat your heart out!

What is your family doing to “go green?”

Well, my Dad said his bald spot is “a solar panel for a love machine.”  I don’t know what that means, but I’m looking into whether we can hook it into the grid and get carbon credits.

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Destination Watch: Trestles Beach, California

In the October Issue of Traveler, our Destination Watch department looked into the ongoing controversy surrounding Trestles Beach in southern California, a shore made famous in the Beach Boys' classic "Surfin' U.S.A."  National Geographic magazine Production Coordinator Jeff DiNunzio recently visited the beach and sends us this update.

Just below San Diego’s northern border with Orange County sits San Onofre State Beach, or San O. The park includes three distinct areas, the Bluffs, San Onofre Surf Beach, and San Mateo Campground, and over the past year, San O has become a battleground between supporters of highway infrastructure development and challengers who favor fewer cars and preserving the park.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) want to extend the Foothill Toll Road—Route 241—and link coastal Orange County with its expansion eastward. In order to deal with the estimated 60 percent traffic increase expected in south Orange County in the next quarter-century, the TCA believes the six-lane, 16-mile extension will be a vital accommodation. The road in question falls under the California highway system but is operated by the TCA, which is funded by the sale of bonds to both private individuals and institutional investors. The extension boasts a list of supporters and research on congestion-induced environmental hazards.

The addition, however, would cut through a patch of well-maintained terrain in San O, and opponents fear it would threaten the operation of its campgrounds (eliminating all of San Mateo’s 161 sites).  Furthermore, it would diminish water and wildlife quality (San Mateo Watershed purportedly contains six rare or endangered species) and adversely affect the waves at Trestles Beach, which draws surfers from around the world. The assertion that new roads will mitigate, rather than worsen, congestion has met persistent skepticism. Organizations like Save San Onofre, the Surfrider Foundation, and United Coalition to Protect Panhe are campaigning to counter the TCA’s lobbying efforts for approval, boosting press coverage to rouse public support.

Genius Among Us

I'm always a little bummed when I hear that the MacArthur "Genius" Fellows have been announced for the year. That means, once again, that my phone hasn't rung out of the blue telling me that I've been bestowed with $500,000 for the next five years. But shortly after I get over my disappointment, I quickly become mildly obsessed with the real geniuses who did win. And this year's batch is no exception, particularly when it comes to their impact on the world in which we travel.

• Stephen Houston - As an anthropologist, archaeologist, and epigrapher, he's a modern-day Indiana Jones. "He has worked on the excavations of several major Mayan cities, most recently the ancient city of Piedras Negras in Guatemala, which had not been explored since its initial discovery more than 60 years ago."

• Walter Kitundu - A music-maker, literally. He's affiliated with the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and his "phonoharp" instruments are "inspired by hip-hop, other modern musical forms, and traditional Asian and African instruments... [they] are hybrids of turntables and stringed instruments."

Smithsonian Ocean Exhibit Grand Opening

Whether you made it to the beach or not this summer, you will definitely want to head over to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History this weekend to learn all about the unseen organisms lurking in the sand under your beach blanket…right??

Fine. Even if the fact that over half of all animal phyla are microscopic and live in sand doesn’t have you clamoring for more, a peek at the new Sant Ocean Hall will.

This Saturday, September 27th, the Ocean Hall will open to the public, but I got a look at the exhibits earlier this week. Spanning 23,000 square feet and boasting 54-foot ceilings, the Hall has a little something for everyone.

Big fan of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?

The exhibit features not one, but two giant squids – though the male looks downright small compared to the 24-foot-long female.   

Whale Lover?

The 45-foot model (above) of a North Atlantic right whale is an exact replica of Phoenix, an actual whale living in the wild. Phoenix, the model, has been dubbed the “ambassador” of the Hall – she holds a prominent position suspended from the ceiling.

National Geographic recently published a feature article on the friendly giants, (pictured, right), which are endangered in the North Atlantic but flourishing in the South  Pacific.  Brian Skerry's online photo gallery accompanying the article is stunning.

I Just Wanna Shout!

Those of you spending this weekend in Charlotte, NC,  should be prepared to eat. The city is serving up some food, fun, and music as world-renowned and local chefs meet up for the Shout Culinary Arts Experience. The two-day event features interactive cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs including Cat Cora from Iron Chef America, Billy Strynkowski, executive chef for Cooking Light magazine, and Curtis Stone of TLC’s Take Home Chef (check the blog next week for my interview with Curtis). I'm going, and looking forward to some of these highlights:

• Culinary groups are offering mini cooking seminars that teach you how to make your own sushi or tabouleh. And local upscale restaurants will be dishing out samples of a variety of popular menu items – from tapas to seafood to Southern classics – for a fraction of the usual price.   

• Teetotalers may want to steer clear of the Robert Mondavi tour, which includes tastings and cooking demonstrations. 

• And, thanks largely to Compass Group North America, a Charlotte-based food management company, Shout will be a “green” event.  They plan to recycle plastic and glass bottles as well as aluminum and cardboard.  And, as they did last year, Compass will donate leftovers to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Charlotte. (Stay tuned for an upcoming story on Shout going “green”).

The Shout Culinary Arts Experience will take place on Friday, Sept. 26 from 5-10 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 27 from 12-9 p.m. at the Johnson and Wales University Campus at 801 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte City Center Partners

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