How Can I Save on Transportation During a Round-the-World Trip?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

13 Great Travel Horror Movies

The Hollywood horror archives are filled with tales of bad trips. To celebrate Halloween, Eva Holland and Eli Ellison sift through the carnage to pick their favorites—and lose a little sleep doing so.

Matt Weiland: Through 50 States With 50 Writers

The coeditor of “State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America” talks to Frank Bures about the book, the WPA and how the United States hasn’t been “bulldozed for speed”

Love Herring in Sweden

From artery-clogging casseroles to a fermented concoction that smells alarmingly like vinegary flatulence, Lola Akinmade digs in to a smörgåsbord of herring and explains how to best appreciate Scandinavia’s favorite fish. 

The Water Is Wide

Bronwen Dickey considers Tim Butcher’s “Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart,” which takes readers deep into the Congo

Vagrant Ruminations of a Compulsive Traveler

Where does the urge to hunt for that “fleeting fix of elsewhere” come from? Peter Wortsman recalls a life of travel inspiration. 

Notes From an Unofficial Tourist Greeter

Summer is over, and so is Julia Ross‘ season as an ambassador to travelers in Washington, D.C.’s Woodley Park neighborhood. She’s happy to be off duty.

Architects and Mecca: Redesigning Islam’s Most Holy Site

A shortlist of 18 possible architects has been drawn up for the daunting task of redesigning the mosque complex at Mecca, the Independent reports. Brits Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid are reportedly among the finalists. The planned redevelopment would more than triple capacity at the site, from the current 900,000 to a mind-boggling 3 million, making it the world’s highest-occupancy building.

Photo by FLORA1 via Flickr (Creative Commons).

California’s Proposition 8 Fallout: Boycott Utah?

Supporters of gay marriage—angered by reports that members of the Mormon Church donated millions of dollars to back Proposition 8 on California’s November ballot—are calling for a boycott of travel to Utah, including the Sundance Film Festival. 

The Onion: ‘American Airlines Now Charging Fees to Non-Passengers’

"Tough times unfortunately mean tough measures,” the airline’s president told America’s finest news source.

Standoff Continues at Bangkok Airport

The numbers are staggering: More than 100,000 tourists have been stranded, and the occupation by anti-government protesters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has continued through the weekend. Elsewhere in the city, thousands of pro-government supporters have also gathered, and fears of violence have escalated. A grenade wounded 46 protesters at an anti-government sit-in at the Prime Minister’s compound on Sunday.

What the Mumbai Attacks Say About the City and Travel Security

Like everyone, I spent the last few days following updates on the horrible terrorist attacks that killed nearly 200 people, including 18 foreigners, in Mumbai. A couple of articles published in recent days have struck me. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Suketu Mehta explained why Mumbai, of all Indian cities, is an appealing target for terrorists. 

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Happy Thanksgiving

We’re renewing a World Hum Thanksgiving tradition this year by taking off the next four days. We’ll be back on Monday. Safe travels to all. While you’re out there, may you avoid the holiday traditions shown in this video:

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What Food Writers Really Think of Thanksgiving

Turns out, they can’t stand the annual turkey fest—at least according to Slate’s Regina Schrambling, who offers a hilarious rant on the subject, just in time for the holidays. “What makes me totally crazy,” she writes, “is the persistent pressure to reinvent a wheel that has been going around quite nicely for more than 200 years. Every fall, writers and editors have to knock themselves out to come up with a gimmick—fast turkey, slow turkey, brined turkey, unbrined turkey—when the meal essentially has to stay the same.”

Photo by xybermatthew via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Catching Up With Rolf Potts

World Hum columnist Rolf Potts has been busy. He recently hosted a Thanksgiving-related show for the Travel Channel called “American Pilgrim,” which aired Monday. He’s been touring in support of his new book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There. And he was the subject of a recent Poets & Writers profile, penned by World Hum’s book editor, Frank Bures. The story just became available online and it not only offers insight into Rolf’s writing career, but it nicely describes the travel publishing landscape at the moment. Writes Bures:

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‘Rude Recliners, Armrest Hogs, Shoulder Surfers’: Are You an Annoying Traveler?

A recent poll about travelers’ most irritating behavior by TripAdvisor.com indicates that the number-one annoyance is having children kick the back of your seat. Also making the list: people eating stinky meals, loud cell-phone talkers and folks taking too long to load their overhead luggage (you know who you are!). And yet there may be help for the irritating traveler.

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Hitting the Road This Holiday?

While you’re far from alone, the AP reports that despite falling gas prices and last minute vacation deals, fewer people are traveling this Thanksgiving eve, typically one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Take a Peek Inside ‘World’s First Zero-Star Hotel’

Last month, we reported on the Null Stern Hotel, Switzerland’s fallout shelter-turned-budget hotel that’s set to open early in 2009.  The Wall Street Journal recently joined some volunteer guests for the hotel’s test run, and a slideshow features the sneak peek inside the former bunker: Gourmet cuisine? Nope. Private showers? Nope. Protection from nuclear fallout? But of course!

The Ugliest Buildings in the World?

I’m guessing the folks at VirtualTourist.com had a lot of fun putting together this list of the world’s ugliest buildings and monuments. For my part, I enjoyed reading a “Worst of” list for a change, complete with acerbic commentary, instead of the glowing superlatives of the usual “Best of” lists. Here’s their take on New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal: “Those who pass by this iron monstrosity might be tempted to ask about a completion date, but alas, this is the finished product.”

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