Stories about Travel from August, 2008
Georgia: Zugdidi
Following news of the occupation of the Georgian town of Zugdidi, Uncornered Market remembers its stay there and one of its residents who the blog says has probably fled.
Taiwan: Wuci Tourist Fishing Port
Michael Turton posts some photos from Taichung Wuci tourist fishing port.
Jamaica, Trinidad: On the “Doubles”
“If a visitor's stomach can handle pepper and curry first thing in the morning, then this is a nice surprise for the palate, and a great way to start the day”: Jamaican Francis Wade posts video of a Trinidadian Doubles vendor.
Guyana: No More Tunes
Living Guyana is in full support of the ban on loud music in mini-buses and thinks it should also be extended to private vehicles, while GT…Keep it Real says: “How boring will it be to take public transportation now, some people looked forward to get updates on the latest tunes,...
Abu Dhabi's Baywatch
“What's more absurd? 1. Playboy-model-come-home-porn-star Pamela Anderson wants to build a hotel in a conservative Islamic emirate. 2. She plans to build a zero-fossil-fuel eco-friendly hotel in one of the biggest carbon-chugging nations in the world,” writes Secret Dubai Diary, from the UAE.
Anguilla: Carnival Stabbing
Corruption-free Anguilla reports on a fatal stabbing that has marred Anguilla's Carnival celebrations, while blogger Penny Legg says that the island “must clean up its act. Anguilla only has tourism…(it) needs to look critically at the problem it has with its youth.”
Arabeyes: Female, single, and away from home?
For many single Arab women, to live and work or study away from their family is not a choice made easily, because of fear of 'what people will say'. A number of bloggers from around the Arab world have voiced their frustration recently at the obstacles single women face.
Georgia: Armenian Tourist Evacuation
Regional Reporters [RU] reports that 1,200 Armenian tourists vacationing in the Black Sea resorts of Batumi and Kobuleti have been evacuated from Georgia. However, the blog notes, not all Armenian tourists decided to leave.
Montenegro: A trip to Budva
Sajkaca of the group blog Balkan Crew describes a trip to the coastal town of Budva, Montenegro, including several photos.
Blogger of the Week: Gilad Lotan
An artist, programmer and technology explorer, Gilad Lotan has been giving Global Voices Online's readers routine insights into the Hebrew blogosphere since May 2007, covering Israel, where arguments get heated and emotions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run high. How does this 30 year old manage? How does he select the conversations he wants to cover and why? Also, what are his other interests? Learn more about Gilad Lotan in this week's Blogger of the Week interview.
MENA: Visas of Fulbright scholars revoked
Earlier this week three Palestinians, recipients of prestigious Fulbright scholarships to study in the United States, had their visas revoked by the US, preventing them from taking up the scholarships. A fourth, a high-school student on a separate programme, was also stopped. Yet two and a half months ago, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had personally intervened to make sure that the grant winners would be able to go. Why the last-minute change of heart? Bloggers from around the Middle East have a number of theories.
Estonia-US: Speeding tickets
cyrsfarivar.com compares the hustle of getting a speeding ticket in the US and Estonia, with the latter coming out on the positive side.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Lost London Connection
Tim Clancy of the blog Pure Intent laments the cancelation of flights between Sarajevo and London. He says: “The city of London has done great things for this country. Although we do not bare the entire blame of this misfortune, we certainly are guilty of having our heads in the...
Dominica, Antigua: One Caribbean?
Following news of the murder of a honeymooning British couple in Antigua, Danielle Jones at Dominica Weekly says: “While some of us may be inclined to brush this incident off as an Antiguan problem, in reality it has implications for the wider Caribbean. It comes just weeks after our CARICOM...
Czech Republic: Prague Churches
Strog's Prague pictures & opinions diverses [French] has been writing about several churches in Prague, including many pictures. Most recently, he has described in great detail the Gothic church of sv. Václava na Zderaze, the Baroque sv. Jana na Skalce (in French St Jean -de Népomucène- sur le rocher) and...
Estonia: City Spirits
Itching for Eestima compares the different spirit of the citizens of Estonia's two biggest cities – Tallinn and Tartu.
Russia: Remembering Wilhelm Gustloff
Copydude reflects upon the sinking in 1944 of Wilhelm Gustloff – history's biggest civilian maritime catastrophy – inspired by a book on Kaliningrad by Isabel Denny.
Barbados, Jamaica: Nice Is as Nice Does
Living in Barbados maintains that the Smile Barbados campaign, aimed at “encouraging people to show greater respect for each other” is a failure – and goes on to relate his experiences at the airport, “which is the first and last port of call for many visitors. It's where…good and bad...
Slovenia: Relaxation and History
Una española/gallega en Eslovenia [Spanish] describes a visit to the Topolšica spa in Slovenia, where the surrender of the German troups occupying the region was signed in 1945, ending the nazi presence in that part of Europe.
Slovenia: A Sunday in Radovljica
Camille Acey of Adventures in Wheelville posted several pictures of a Sunday in Radovljica, a town in the Slovenian alpine region, including some of a medieval art fair.
Estonia: Hemingway and Promotional Storytelling
Vello Vikerkaar advocates for the substitution of Estonia's inane slogan ‘Welcome to Estonia’ for a story worthy of Hemingway, who once said “In every port in the world, at least two Estonians can be found”.
