Stories about Travel from January, 2007
Russia: Cops vs Tourists
Russia Blogs warns tourists of some of the dangers of Russia travel: “But there is also a dark side to the extended holidays for unsuspecting travelers visiting Russia’s cities – namely, Russian cops shaking down foreigners for bribes because they lack valid stamps on their visas.”
Japan: Namba Yasaka Shinto Shrine
Ampontan introduces the Namba Yasaka Shinto Shrine in Osaka: The outdoor structure is called the Ojishi-den, or Palace of the Great Lion. Visitors say it’s about the size of a three-story building, and officially it is 12 meters high, 11 meters wide, and 10 meters deep. The ferocious face is...
Arabisc: Hijab-clad Doll Under Fire in Tunisia
This is Fulla, the Hijab-clad Arab Muslim adaptation of the decadent West's Barbie doll. Our Barbie wears the Hijab (head scarf) and Islamic attire – a long dress with long sleeves. While she is a blessing to many parents in the Muslim world who are happy to see their children...
Latvia: Border Dispute
Marginalia writes about Latvia's border dispute with Russia and about “putting things in order”: “When a state “puts things in order,” it has a sad tendency to forget real people and real places, methinks.”
Russia: Vladivostok and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
White Sun of the Desert offers a Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk perspective on the city of Vladivostok.
Former Soviet Union: Cockroaches and Living Conditions
Russian Marketing Blog writes about cockroaches and life in the former Soviet Union: “I don’t know if there’s any other country outside the Soviet block where doctors, drunks and mad babushkas live side by side.”
Russia: Driving in Moscow
Russia Blog writes about the new law banning migalki and posts pictures taken in Moscow during a recent visit.
Russia: More on Being in Russia for Too Long
Ruminations on Russia contributes to the 42 “you know when you've been in Russia too long when.”
Russia: Images from Siberia and Vladimir
From Russia With Blog posts image videos from Siberia and Vladimir.
South Asia: Human rights, blogosphere, traditions, democracy, discrimination, travel and festivals
Picks from different blogs from the following South Asian Countries: Bangladesh: After 5 years detention in Guantanamo, one Bangladeshi (Mobarak) was recently released by the US authorities. However he was arrested again by Bangladesh Airport police for interrogation as soon as he arrived in Dhaka. Naeem of Drishtipat blog is...
Estonia: Tartu Real Estate
Itching for Eestimaa is looking for an apartment “in the city of Tartu, you know that unappealing hellhole in southeast Estonia where there are no good indie rock bands and the best thing is the road leading to Tallinn?” Some observations on Tartu's real estate are here.
Russia: Krasnaya Polyana Ski Resort
Sochi Travel blog writes on the quite dysfunctional Krasnaya Polyana skiing resort.
Ukraine: Solotvyno Salt Mine
Ukraine List writes about the Solotvyno Salt Mine, located near the Romanian border, home to the deepest speleotherapy facility in the world: “Speleotherapy in Solotvyno essentially uses the micro-climates in the underground salt mines to treat respiratory and lung ailments. […] Anywhere from three to five thousand people are treated...
Barbados: Movie stars and unwashed masses
An article about an exclusive Barbados holiday villa in the UK's Times Online gets Barbados Free Press‘s back up with its trumpeting of the villa's private beach and seclusion away from the “hoi polloi”.
Bahamas: Leaving the tourism plantation
“All of us can collectively turn our backs by remembering that tourism is a job that we do, it is not who we are. It is a necessary evil, it is not our reason for being. Serving tourists well is not the greatest achievement we can aspire to, and it...
Vietnam: Visiting Hue
Virtual Doug gives us a pictorial tour of the alleys in Hue, the former royal capital city of Vietnam.
Russia: Moscow to Vladivostok on Train
Snowsquare recommends both the real and the virtual Moscow-Vladivostok train ride: “6 days, across 9259km, across 2 continents, 14 oblasts and 8 time zones.”
Russia: Sochi
The world's deepest cave, the Olympics 2014 bid and a lot more – at Sochi Travel Info: Experience the Russian Riviera blog.
Albania: Election Posters
Our Man in Tirana posts pictures of election posters in Albania's capital.
Palestinian Blogger Without Electricity
Palestinian blogger Fayyad gives us a sneak preview of his visit to Palestine at Kabobfest, where his little village was without electricty for the duration of his stay.
Tajikistan: Pearl of the East
Gulru begins blogging about Tajikistan for neweurasia with a post on the city of Khujand, the Pearl of the East.
