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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 26
It’s tough to re-create history with buildings and costumed people and not have it seem theme-parkish, but when it’s done well, there’s no better way to engage kids in another world and time.
Here are a few places where families can meet history face-to-face, in a largely outdoor setting so you don’t have to keep saying “Shhh!” and “Don’t run!”
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 4
It’s strange to think that not more than five months before I was sitting at my father’s table engaged in a heated discussion on Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Funny vs. not funny; comedic performance vs. social responsibility. On the surface, this may look like a completely unimportant event, and perhaps, it was.
Fast forward to my time in Argentina. I was sitting at an outdoor caf? in Salta with a friend, having a beer and recounting the main points of this bitter argument. My friend, sharing my sense of humor, unpacked a set of Borat impressions, which caught the ear of a stranger walking past who promptly turned and delivered a spot-on impression of Borat. “In my country…” the stranger smiled mischieviously. Recognizing our common Borat bond, the stranger soon sat down and introduced himself.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 4
Miami Beach is fast becoming one of the top vacation destinations for families andtravelersalike. Miami Beach offers sun, fun and a variety of activities to choose from. Now that you have decided to vacation in Miami Beach, it is time to choose the hotel that you will reside in for your vacation. With a plethora of hotel options how does one pick the perfect Miami Beach hotel? A good way to choose a hotel is by the amenities t
hat the hotel has to offer. One of the biggest disappointments that I have encountered is getting to a hotel and expecting a service that the hotel does not offer. With all the travel tools that are available on the web, you can do a little research before you go to make sure you get what you want. Listed below are what I feel are the top 5 amenities that a hotel can offer to you and your family to make your accommodation choice perfect for you.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
You would never know, walking down cacophonous Corrientes Avenue, that behind a pair of old wooden doors lies a peaceful bed and breakfast specializing in housing Tango dancers from far and wide.
In a 100 year old building that is as old as Tango itself, you arrive at Tango Paradise in an antique elevator that creates a special feeling even before you enter the beautiful space created by its owner.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
Argentina is a big country. The many places to see and things to do are separated by hundreds, or even thousands of miles. Although Argentina does not have the convenience of a big train system such as the Eurorail which provides regular cross continental transportation for those traveling throughout Europe, it does offer an immaculate bus system that is pretty hard to beat.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
La Plata, located only 60km south of Buenos Aires, has more to it than meets the eye. My first trip to this apparently sleepy town was uninspiring, and I decided to leave before lunchtime. The next time I visited was on a hot summer afternoon and a friend showed me around the city. When the time came to catch the bus back to Buenos Aires, I didn’t want to leave.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
Youth Tourism Response - Philippines (YTRiP), with the help of Alquimista, Inc. and the Sleepy Traveler is organizing a food trip to Pampanga this July.
Dubbed Viajeng Cucina Matua (The Old Kitchen Tour), the food trip is slated this July 22, 2007.
The Kapampangan cuisine is highly regarded as one of the most delicious in the Philippines . Discover their age-old secrets and explore the rich culture of Pampanga through this one -of-a-kind cultural culinary experience.
Itinerary
Departure from M.M. (6:30 )
Breakfast - Cucina ng Atching Lillian Borromeo
Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
Thai driving is the best! Danny picked us up at 10 this morning and took us for a ride around Phuket, pointing out things here and there (not that we remember anything). We got all set up with scooters, which seem to be the primary means of transportation around here. Took a couple minutes to get used to driving one, but after a while it became second nature.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 29
I’ve written about several posts recently about planes spending an obscene amount of time on the tarmac, occasionally without AC or with overflowing sewage. But how often does something like this actually happen?
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 0.0005 percent of flights, or 36 out of 7.2 million, experienced tarmac delays of over five hours last year. Not too bad; about the same chance as being struck by lightning. Looks like the airlines are actually doing astonishingly well.
Except that the statistics are grossly inaccurate. It turns out that there are several loopholes to reporting delays. For example, if a flight is diverted to or from another airport, it is reported as “diverted” not delayed. If the flight ends up being cancelled, it is reported as “cancelled”, not delayed. And there are a few more. Representative Jean Schmidt estimates that when this loophole is closed, the actual number could go up tenfold. Even then however, a 0.005 percent chance isn’t that bad. I just wish they would give us more peanuts.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Jun 17
I have been waiting for the day when one of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration employees goes postal. How the deal with so many idiotic travelers is beyond me. Granted some of them have transformed there minuscule amount of power into some God like reign, but still, how can one handle the mess of holiday travel?
Until recently my thoughts of disgruntle TSA staff were nothing more than a Nostradamus like prediction, but upon reading the Vagabondish Blog I became a little concerned. Am I the only one that thinks this much contraband around TSA staff is scary?