Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Blogger Dave Seminara]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/19/blogger-dave-seminara/http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/19/blogger-dave-seminara/http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/19/blogger-dave-seminara/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing a new blogger at Gadling, Dave Seminara...

1. Where was your photo taken: Chincoteague Island, Virginia

2. Where do you live now: Falls Church, Virginia

3. Scariest Airline Flown: Uzbek Airways. This airline is so disorganized that even a trip to their website will probably leave you with a virus. I flew the friendly skies of Uzbek Air into Bishkek, which is surrounded by imposing, snow-capped mountains, and was thrilled to make it through the experience alive. The only perk was that a beautiful, terrified Kyrgyz girl sitting next to me wanted to hold my hand for the descent and landing.

4. Favorite City/Country/Place: If you only have one favorite place, you need to get out more. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; The Crooked Road, Virginia; Glacier National Park, Montana; Sonoma, California; Savannah, Georgia; Guanajuato, Mexico; San Pancho, Mexico; Amsterdam; Vienna; Rome; Gangi, Sicily, Naxos, Greece; Meteora, Greece; Istanbul; Bansko, Bulgaria, Ohrid, Macedonia, Hvar, Croatia; Tblisi, Georgia; Bukhara, Uzbekistan; and the Mogao Caves, near Dunhaung, China.

5. Most remote corner of the globe visited: Xinxiang province in far western China.

6. Favorite Means of Transportation: Trains. For me, travel is all about freedom and there is no freedom to move about on a bus, plane, car, rickshaw, bicycle, donkey or horse. If the person sitting next to you on a train smells like spoiled cabbage or wants to tell you about their hemorrhoid problem, you're free to move far away from them. Travel by ship can also be sublime, but on a train you don't have to worry about foul weather.

7. Worst Armpit: (Three-way tie) Port of Spain, Trinidad. There are plenty of good reasons why V.S. Naipaul left Trinidad and never went back. Pristina, Kosovo. A muddy, polluted mess of communist-era architecture and second-rate Italian restaurants. Gatlinburg, TN. A morbid, endless sprawl of fast food, mini golf, and tourist kitsch.

8. Celebrity you'd most like to sit next to in first class: Alec Baldwin, so I could tell him to stow his portable electronic device for takeoff and shut the hell up.

9. Favorite travel book: Paul Theroux's classic The Great Railway Bazaar. When Theroux returned home from this epic trip, his wife had taken up with another man. An occupational hazard of the solo traveler.

10. You may become the leader of any country in the world. What country and why? How would you rule? You wouldn't have to twist my arm to rule Liechtenstein. It's a beautiful, prosperous country right in the heart of Europe and I assume that this job would come with some sort of Teutonic looking castle to live in. Also, as a tiny, micro-state, I imagine that running the place would still leave with me with plenty of time to travel and read. During the first 100 days of my administration I would: shorten the name of the country to something much easier to spell and pronounce, perhaps I'd re-name it Leo after my oldest son; then I would name myself the captain of the national soccer and tennis squads; and finally, I would declare war on San Marino, in an attempt to expand my empire while making it clear that Leo is not a country to be trifled with.

Blogger Dave Seminara originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>about the bloggerabout the bloggersAboutTheBloggerAboutTheBloggersblogger bioblogger biosBloggerBioBloggerBiosdave seminaraDaveSeminaraMon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Jessica Marati]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/05/blogger-jessica-marati/http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/05/blogger-jessica-marati/http://www.gadling.com/2011/12/05/blogger-jessica-marati/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Jessica Marati...

Where was your photo taken: This photo was taken on my family's beach in the southern part of Guam, the tiny Pacific island territory where I grew up. It's probably one of my favorite places on the face of the earth.

Where do you live now: I'm based in New York, but I've spent the last several months living in Phnom Penh, where I've been researching and writing about ethical fashion, sustainability, and travel.

Scariest airline flown: Laos Airlines, on a particularly memorable flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. I had been warned that their track record was less than perfect, so I was hyper-sensitive to every unfamiliar whirr and pressure dip. The landing was bumpy, but thankfully I'm still here.

Favorite city/country/place: Are four-way ties allowed? New York, Paris, Bali, and the aforementioned beach.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Probably Carp Island, a private island in the Palau archipelago in Micronesia. One night, we were sitting on the dock when the sea started lighting up in brilliant blues and greens -- my first encounter with bioluminescent plankton. All seven people staying on the island came out to watch. Combined with a star-filled sky, it was pure magic. Tierra del Fuego was pretty quiet too.

Favorite guidebook series: These days, I'm really digging my iPod Touch and the variety of travel tools available in the iTunes App store. Triposo offers free interactive city guides, World Nomads has great phrasebooks, and nothing beats TripAdvisor for the latest hotel and restaurant reviews. I also like to save travel articles, like the New York Times 36 Hours series, to my Instapaper for later reading. It's allowed me to ditch the massive Lonely Planet budget guides I used to haul around.

Solo or group traveler? A little bit of both. I love taking trips to visit friends living abroad, because I get to experience the place with more context and better restaurant recommendations.

Favorite means of transportation: Hopping on the backs of motorbikes here in Cambodia used to terrify me, but now I've become quite used to it. Nothing beats weaving through oncoming traffic with the wind blowing through your hair.

Favorite foreign dish? Restaurant? My Roman grandmother makes the absolute best parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmesan). Beats any restaurant in Italy, or anywhere else for that matter.

Dream travel destination: Havana, Cuba. I think this might be the year!

Continue reading Blogger Jessica Marati

Blogger Jessica Marati originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>App Storebalicambodiacarp islandCarpIslandCubaguaminstapaperjessica maratiJessicaMaratiLonely PlanetLuang Prabangnew yorkNew York Citynew york timesNew York Times CoNewYorkNewYorkTimesPacific Islandspalauparisphnom penhPhnomPenhtierra del fuegoTierraDelFuegotripadvisortriposoworld nomadsWorldNomadsMon, 05 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Introducing Nick Dana, Gadling's ocean race blogger]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/11/21/introducing-nick-dana-gadlings-ocean-race-blogger/http://www.gadling.com/2011/11/21/introducing-nick-dana-gadlings-ocean-race-blogger/http://www.gadling.com/2011/11/21/introducing-nick-dana-gadlings-ocean-race-blogger/#commentsFiled under:



A critical part of putting together the right travel blog is in having the right kind of writers to inspire travel. At Gadling it's always been my goal to have writers that love to travel first and that love writing and inspiring second. That's why Kyle Ellison's been on the road this fall sending dispatches from the 10 Days 10 States series or why I've been bouncing between Seoul and London and Libera and Chicago for the past few months. Spending time on the road is an important part of travel writing and it's important that we lead by example.

Our featured bloggers Kent Wein and Heather Poole are great embedded travelers working at Gadling, delivering news on the industry from inside of the beast. And as part of that great culture of unique perspectives I'd like to introduce Nick Dana as our newest blogger embedded within the Volvo Ocean Race. As the only American sailor on team Abu Dhabi, Nick works as the Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard Azzam, the 70' sailboat that will spend the next nine months racing around the world.

It's already been a difficult start for team Abu Dhabi and there will be weeks of intense coverage and stories as the race pushes around the planet. Check back frequently for Nick's dispatches and bookmark his coverage here.

Introducing Nick Dana, Gadling's ocean race blogger originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>teamabudhabiMon, 21 Nov 2011 09:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Ori Epstein]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/29/blogger-ori-epstein/http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/29/blogger-ori-epstein/http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/29/blogger-ori-epstein/#commentsFiled under:

Where was your photo taken: The side of the road in some unknown (to me) village in Rajasthan.

Where do you live now: The beautiful brownstone neighborhood of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York, at least until I get priced out.

Scariest airline flown: I think I have the complete opposite of a fear of flying - I get so excited by travel that just getting to the airport or boarding a plane can leave me downright giddy. And even severe turbulence or drunk-acting pilots won't shake that giddiness. Of course, it also helps that I typically fly airlines like Delta or JetBlue, rather than something like Khyber Afghan Airlines or Trans Air Congo. But if I really had to pick the scariest, I guess it would be the first time I flew with my then 3-month old daughter, a 12-hour, 2-layover Southwest cross-country slog. I don't know exactly what the feeling was of changing a cranky infant's toxic diaper in a cramped 737 lavatory 20,000 feet above Sacramento, but it might as well have been fear.

Favorite city/country/place: Barcelona? Jerusalem? Peru? Australia? How can anyone possibly answer this, there are so many incredible places. But fine, I'll answer it - Mexico. It pretty much has everything: vibrant cities, quaint colonial towns, ancient ruins, beaches, jungle, desert, and an incredible cuisine. And best of all, for us Americans, it's all right there in our backyard!

Most remote corner of the globe visited: It might not feel like it when you're there, but Hawaii. Out in the middle of the Pacific, over 2,000 miles away from the nearest human settlement, it's extraordinary that this tropical, volcanic, Asian melting pot is part of the United States.

Favorite guidebook series: I think that all the major travel guide publishers can be pretty hit or miss, and the authors are usually a better gauge of quality than the brand. But for this I'll go with Bradt Travel Guides. I've never actually used Bradt, this is more of an aspirational choice. Their books, which cover places like the Congo, Somaliland, and Iraq, appeal to the adventurous traveller in me that I have not quite become.

Dream travel destination: Crossing the salt flats of Bolivia; exploring the Okavango Delta of Botswana; hiking to the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria. Basically, any country that starts with the letter B.

How did you get started travelling? My parents, inveterate passport stamp collectors, refused to let parenthood get in the way of their wanderlust. By the time I was 6, they had already dragged me along to places like Tanzania, the Seychelles, Israel, and Greece. Like it or not, they created a budding travel addict, and I can only hope to do the same for my daughter.

When I'm not writing for Gadling, I'm...either trying to corral a tireless 11-month old or pay off my law school debts.

Languages Spoken: Some Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Danish, and, thanks to my day job, legalese.

Blogger Ori Epstein originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brooklynRajasthanThu, 29 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Jessica Festa]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/28/blogger-jessica-festa/http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/28/blogger-jessica-festa/http://www.gadling.com/2011/09/28/blogger-jessica-festa/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Jessica Festa...

Where was your photo taken:

On Manganari Beach in Ios, Greece

Where do you live now:

Long Island, New York, but planning to move into the city by the end of the year

Scariest airline flown:

To be honest, I have never been scared to fly, even on really turbulent flights. If you asked me what my scariest plane ride was, however, I would definitely say the one right before I skydived in New Zealand!

Favorite city/country/place:

That is really tough, as I love every place I have ever traveled too for a different reason. However, if I had to choose I would probably say Sydney, Australia, because I studied abroad there and really felt like I got to know the city having an apartment there, a job, a gym membership, my favorite cafe, etc... The street I lived on was filled with bars, galleries, restaurants, shopping...It was just such a lively area. I also never got sick of walking to Darling Harbour in the mornings, sitting by the water, strolling through the Botanical Gardens, and passing by the many street markets in Sydney.

Most remote corner of the globe visited:

Hmmmm, I'd have to say in Chiang Rai, Thailand, when I stayed in the Akha Village. Just to get to our teaching placements, which were also in very rural areas, we had to walk 2-3 miles each morning. I absolutely love getting away from the big cities, though!

Favorite guidebook series:

I have actually only used guidebooks to plan one trip, as I usually wait to get to a place and ask locals as well as other backpackers what they recommend, or sometimes I'll read some travel blogs. However, I will say that I love Rick Steve's guidebooks. I used his as well as two others when I backpacked Europe and I felt that his recommendations and advice were a lot more useful and thoughtful than the other books.

Hotel, Hostel, or Other:

I'm a huge fan of hostels! Not only because they are cheaper (even if they were more expensive than a hotel I would stay at them) but because they are so social and fun. I have met many other backpackers in hostels that I have ended up traveling with in other places. I will also say that I am a big fan of home stays. I have done two of them and loved the experience of really getting to see the region I am in through the perspective of a local.

How did you get started traveling:

Growing up my family always liked to do road trips to different states. Then when I was around 15 my best friend Jenn and I got our families to plan a joint cruise to Bermuda, and from there we ended up going on cruises every summer together until we graduated. I got started on international travel after I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, backpacking on the weekends and stopping in New Zealand and Fiji on the way home. I literally became addicted and started planning my next trip (which ended up being teaching English in Thailand backpacking South East Asia, China, and Hong Kong) immediately.


Most Recent Trip:

I actually just got back a couple weeks ago from Ghana in Africa. I did some orphanage work there, which I absolutely loved, and also got to travel to some of the historical as well as natural areas of the country. What was really appealing to me here was the rich culture of music, dancing, and drumming. I seriously wish people in New York danced in the streets more, and that there was always music playing in the background.

Worst Hotel Experience:

It was actually in a hostel. My FIRST hostel, of course (and honestly, I have not had a bad experience in the 100 other hostels I have stayed in, go figure!). My friends and I were in Brisbane, Australia, staying at this hostel that immediately seemed really sketchy when we walked in. There were clumps of hair all over the bathroom floor and everything seemed damp and had bugs. It was so bad that I refused to pee all night. The people in our room seemed a little shady as well, and at 2 AM I was woken up to a drug deal going down on the bed below me. Let's just say I slept hugging all my stuff the entire night.

Blogger Jessica Festa originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ghanahome stayHomeStayhostelsstudy abroadStudyAbroadthailandtravel bloggertravel experienceTravelBloggerTravelExperienceWed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Kyle Ellison]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/08/blogger-kyle-ellison/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/08/blogger-kyle-ellison/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/08/blogger-kyle-ellison/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Kyle Ellison...

Where was your photo taken: Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. My wife and I kayaked around the backside of the island to Monkey Beach and found a wild monkey drinking an orange soda it had stolen from a Japanese tourist. As he chased the monkey around the sand in a questionable effort to retrieve his soda, another woman began screaming because a baby monkey had climbed into her kayak and was crawling all over her torso. The entire scene was pretty hectic.

Where do you live now: Lake Tahoe, California, an outdoor playground with far too many distractions.

Scariest airline flown: Definitely an Amaszonas flight in Bolivia. The plane only sat 8 people and it was so small my head hit the ceiling while I was in my seat. The pilot was sitting directly in front of me, and we had to navigate through the Andes in a dense fog. It was my first time looking out the window of an airplane and looking up at the mountains. When we finally landed, the runway was a narrow grass strip that was covered with grazing livestock.

Favorite city/country/place: If I could find a country that was an exact blend of New Zealand, Turkey, Laos, Uruguay, South Korea, Hawaii, and Ireland, then I would move there and never leave again.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Probably inside of a cave 60 feet underwater while scuba diving in southern Vietnam. The Vietnamese are infamous for eating anything and everything, and upon spotting some clams inside of the cave the dive instructor crushed them open with a rock and we shared an impromptu meal. Eating underwater is more difficult than you might think.

Favorite guidebook series: I've historically been a Lonely Planet guy, but for the last couple of years I've opted to travel sans guide book. Local newspapers and postcards clue me in on what I should see, and the rest is impromptu.

Worst hotel experience: Being stuck inside of a hostel in Quito, Ecuador in the middle of a political coup. Military helicopters were landing on the hillside next to us as gunfire sounded in the streets. An expat American war veteran who was staying in the hostel estimated we'd last 4 days before we ran out of food.

How did you get interested in travel writing? After I graduated from college I had grand illusions of paying my way around the world by writing for surfing magazines. Logically the next step was I moved to New Zealand, bought a surfboard, lived in a van, and never got anything published. But at least it got me writing.

Other jobs: I'm currently a boat captain in Lake Tahoe, but I've also been a sea kayak guide in Alaska, a bartender in Greece, a scuba guide in Hawaii, an oyster chef in Florida, the head of a non-profit in Cambodia, and a DJ in a Spanish nightclub. I also teach tennis.

You are a contestant on the Price is Right. What vacation do you
hope is in the showcase showdown? What's included? What's the price? A two week stay at a water bungalow in Bora Bora where my two biggest decisions are when to go diving and when to get a massage. The price? Making your wife happy with a trip you've promised her but have no idea how to pay for: Priceless.



Blogger Kyle Ellison originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kyle ellisonKyleEllisonMon, 08 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Melanie Renzulli]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/01/blogger-melanie-renzulli/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/01/blogger-melanie-renzulli/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/01/blogger-melanie-renzulli/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Melanie Renzulli...

Where was your photo taken: The Temple of Artemis ruins in Sart (Sardis), Turkey.

Where do you live now: Washington, DC, has been my home on and off for almost 20 years.

Favorite city/country/place: The more places I go, the more favorite places I have. I'm known for being obsessed with Italy, and that is definitely one of my favorite countries on earth. But I have also lived in Germany, India, and Turkey and love each of those countries for different reasons, ranging from the foods I ate to the friends I met. On the other hand, if I had to pick three cities right now, they'd be New York, Rome, and Istanbul. Then again, Paris, Mumbai, and Hong Kong are pretty cool, too.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: That's relative, isn't it? I mean, remoteness depends on your frame of reference. Perhaps one of the most remote places I've visited was Jericoacoara, Brazil, mainly because of the effort it took to get there. But other destinations I've visited that felt remote include the Greek island of Chios and the Konkan Coast of India. I'm sure plenty of people would consider Alabama, the state where I was born, to be a remote corner of the globe, too.

How did you get interested in travel writing? I began writing about travel in the late 1990s, mostly for dot-coms and trade publications. Around the same time, I was invited to move to Rome to work as an au pair. That was the first time that I approached travel with the idea of writing about it, too. Each day when I was there, while the child was in school, I set out to investigate the city, writing down my observations and collecting practical information (times, admission, transportation options, etc.) as I went along. After Rome, I returned the U.S. with a handful of writing clips and some Rome expertise under my belt. I managed to parlay that experience into a job as a writer for TravelChannel.com as well as two guidebook writing opportunities. I've been writing about travel ever since.

Favorite guidebook series: I should say the guidebooks I have written are my favorites. Indeed, they come in handy as references. But guidebooks have their own specializations that make them useful for different kinds of trips. I'm a visual learner, so I really enjoy DK Eyewitness guides, which are great for maps and cut-away graphics of architecture and art. Time Out and Rough Guides are the best all-around guides; they've gotten me through quick weekend trips as well as through stints as an expat. I look to Blue Guides and Michelin's Green Guides (for which I have written) for in-depth coverage of art and history.

Scariest airline flown: Admittedly, I'm not a great flier. Take-off and turbulence always rattle me. Despite that, I don't have any scary airplane stories with regards to plane performance. I did, however, observe a semi-scary moment years ago when flying from Amsterdam to New York on Pakistan International Airlines (the cheapest flight I could find at the time). Once the flight reached cruising altitude, the pilot made an announcement that we were in Pakistan sovereign territory and anyone caught possessing drugs of any kind could be punished by death. As you can imagine, the few passengers that had just spent their entire time in Holland partaking of a certain illicit substance were visibly shaken.

Celebrity you'd most like to sit next to in first class. The first celebrity that comes to mind is Jerry Seinfeld, because the episode that juxtaposes his and Elaine's experiences in first class and coach is one of my favorites. That said, I'd love to sit next to a celebrity that would make me laugh the whole flight, such as Larry David, Chris Rock, Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, or Louis CK. Funny conversation makes the time pass quickly and the turbulence less of a concern.

When I'm not writing for Gadling, I'm...trying to do a little bit of everything. On the writing front, I primarily cover USA travel for a large travel website and Italy travel on a personal blog I've maintained since 2006. Additionally, I am the mother of two young boys, which keeps me very busy with the usual parental duties.

Dream Travel Destination. Barcelona and Tokyo are two cities I've always wanted to see. I'd also love to learn how to tango in Buenos Aires, tour Jerusalem and the Holy Land, swim with manatees in Florida, and visit the elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka. The list goes on and on...

Blogger Melanie Renzulli originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Melanie RenzulliMelanieRenzulliMon, 01 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Paul Brady]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/31/blogger-paul-brady/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/31/blogger-paul-brady/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/31/blogger-paul-brady/#commentsFiled under: ,

Introducing a new blogger at Gadling, Paul Brady...

Where was your photo taken: This photo was taken on the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam by a Spanish tourist who ended up covering part of the lens with his finger. (I cropped it out here.) It always makes me wonder about how many other funny, weird or otherwise imperfect pictures are out there, taken by tourists for tourists at places like the Hoover Dam or the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramids.

Where do you live now: I live in Manhattan and I love it.

Scariest airline flown: It wasn't the airline as much as it was the anticipation of the flight that scared me: I was looking at a roughly 24-hour trip from Singapore to New York in the middle seat of an aging Singapore Airlines 747, crammed full of people. I was terrified that I'd just lose it about 16 hours in but amazingly, I made it. Something about flying that far puts me into a state of suspended animation. I probably could've gone another 12 hours, though I'm not rushing to test the theory.

Favorite city/country/place: The eastern beaches of Uruguay are wild, raw, beautiful and, except for one month a year, almost entirely devoid of other visitors. They also serve really great steaks in Uruguay, which is always a plus in any destination.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Easter Island vies for the title of most remote inhabited island on the planet, even if flights frequently come in from Tahiti, Santiago and Lima and there are internet cafes in Hanga Roa. But once those jets take off, it's hard not to feel like you're hopelessly adrift on a tiny boat in the big blue Pacific, wondering if anyone will remember that you're still out there.

Favorite guidebook series: My current faves are the endlessly researched and exhaustively written Moon Handbooks, by authors who actually know what they're talking about.

Have you ever had an unexpected layover? If so, what did you do? After an airport fire in Miami this spring, I was re-routed to Buenos Aires for 25 hours, where I did A LOT of walking, some decent eating and got a great deal on a really great hotel, the Moreno.

Favorite foreign dish? Restaurant? Singaporean chilli crab is one of the greatest inventions in human history. You can get a pale imitation of the real thing at Fatty Crab in New York but you really do need to go to Singapore and pick your live crab out of an aquarium.

Worst place to catch a stomach bug? Every place you catch a stomach bug is the new worst place you catch a stomach bug. (Northwestern Nicaragua takes second place.)

Favorite travel book: I am still mad at Leonardo DiCaprio for ruining the novel of a generation in the film adaptation of The Beach.

Blogger Paul Brady originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Tue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Libby Zay]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/23/blogger-libby-zay/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/23/blogger-libby-zay/http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/23/blogger-libby-zay/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing a new blogger at Gadling, Libby Zay...

Where was your photo taken: Drinking a beer beside the Mediterranean coast in Salobreña, Spain.

Where do you live now: Baltimore, Maryland.

Type of traveler: I tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl, who (for better or worse) rarely does research and prefers to get on the ground and ask questions. I often snag last-minute deals and am a notoriously light packer.

Worst hotel experience: In Chişinău, the capital of Moldova, I stayed at a hotel that appeared to be no worse than most backpacker hostels - save for the fact that the shared bathrooms were nothing more than troughs that seemingly hadn't been cleaned in weeks. The light switch was located in the hallway, and some little brat decided to flip the switch on me and ran away giggling. As you can imagine, I was left pretty helpless.

Favorite place: This is a toughie, because am a firm believer that every place has its own redeeming qualities and have never been somewhere I absolutely hated. That being said, once city that recently charmed me is the port town of Manaus in the Brazilian rainforest.

Where do you hide your emergency cash? My stash spot is usually in my bra. But if there's a lot of cash, like when I had to bring home a month's paycheck in Ecuador, I go for the shoes.

Scariest airline flown: Luckily I haven't had any near death experiences so far, even in so-called puddle jumpers. My preferred mode of travel is by bus or van, mostly because I like to take in the scenery at a slow pace. This does, however, result in some harrowing experiences. In South America, a bus driver once came to a complete halt and - literally - jumped out of the window because of engine trouble. I have also been at the wheel while nearly running out of gas in the middle-of-nowhere North Dakota and when the driver's-side door opened around a dangerous curve in Staten Island.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: This would probably be Puerto Bolivar, which is deceivingly not actually a port but instead a village in the Ecuadorian rainforest. It took a seat-gripping overnight bus ride and a butt-aching, four-hour canoe ride to get their from the capital. As always, it was totally worth it.

Favorite guidebook series: I'm not much of a guidebook person, but I like leafing through Lonely Planet and Moon for tips. I also dig the concept behind Viva Travel Guides, a series that anyone can submit to and attempts to be the "most up to date" guidebook.

When I'm not writing for Gadling, I'm... probably writing another website, mainly AOL Travel or City's Best. In the off chance I'm not glued to my computer screen, you'll likely find me doing one of the following: walking my dog, watching a band, or drinking a beer. The possibility that I'm on the road is also pretty high.

[Photo courtesy of Libby Zay]

Blogger Libby Zay originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biobloggerlibby zayLibbyZaytravel writertravelerTravelWriterMon, 23 May 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Elizabeth Seward]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-elizabeth-seward/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-elizabeth-seward/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-elizabeth-seward/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Elizabeth Seward.

Where was your photo taken: Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I was lounging at the Los Suenos Resort there (on the Pacific side of the country) for a few days. This photo captured me mid-thought, writing alongside the ocean. It should be noted, however, that I might have just been gazing off at a Scarlet Macaw.

Where do you live now: I'm a newbie to Austin, TX. I recently relocated from New York City. Fed up with the things in NYC that one easily becomes fed up with after nearly a decade of residence, I decided to learn a thing or two firsthand about this much lauded southern city. People told me Austin was great for music, the outdoors, nightlife, food, and weather, and those people were right. While I'm still navigating my way around, say, having a house and a yard (with a pecan tree out back), the transition into Austin has been smooth... and warm.

Scariest airline flown: I don't routinely get jittery on planes. I prefer to anxiously deprive myself of sleep the night before, powerlessly succumb to deep sleep mid-air, and let the landing jar me awake. But a recent viewing of a "World's Most Extreme Airports (!!!)" kind of show clued me in on the fact that I'd flown into, apparently, two of the most EXTREME airports out there: Saint Martin/Sint Maarten and Vail, Colorado. And yeah, when I think back to those flights, I'm pretty sure I was wide awake well before landing.

Favorite city/country/place: Anything not overrun by kitschy tourist attractions probably appeals to me. I don't have any sort of rain forest vs. mountains vs. desert vs. city preference, but I did go somewhere this past summer that was remote and took my breath away: The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. This sliver of land farther north than the city of Quebec juts deep into Lake Superior. In the summertime, daylight sticks around until 10pm (or after), the weather is warm but not too hot, and the lake is, I kid you not, glistening.

Continue reading Blogger Elizabeth Seward

Blogger Elizabeth Seward originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>countryElizabeth SewardElizabethSewardMariettaMarietta OhioMariettaOhioOhiosun setsunsettravel writertravel writersTravelWriterTravelWritersSun, 26 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Dana Murph]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-dana-murph/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-dana-murph/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/26/blogger-dana-murph/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Dana Murph...

Where was your photo taken?
Poipu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii! I leave a piece of my heart there when I'm away.

Where do you live now?
North Carolina, born and raised.

Favorite city/country/place?
My favorite city (so far!) is Tokyo. It's a huge culture shock from what I'm accustomed to, but in a great way. The skyline is gorgeous, the people are incredibly kind and the food is awesome. The sunrises are second to none, too, and let's not forget the warm Toto toilet seats.

The USA is definitely my favorite country -- I'm sure being able to call it home has a lot to do with it. But I also love a good ole' road trip, and America is probably the best place in the world for that. The roadway system here is incredible, and there's so many remote locations that can be driven to with relative ease.

My favorite place is the Na Pali coast of Kauai, Hawaii. While there, I viewed it from boat, prop plane, and the Kalalau Trail, and I simply couldn't get enough of it. I'm a self-proclaimed sucker for natural beauty, and it doesn't get much more awe-inspiring than this!

The ideal vacation is...
Visiting remote destinations (or popular ones in the off-season). I've found myself smiling at a slew of typical tourist traps before, but given the option, I'd greatly prefer to stray from the beaten path. The setting of my ideal vacation? Beaches, a rainforest or two, mountains... basically Kauai.

Continue reading Blogger Dana Murph

Blogger Dana Murph originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameradana murphDanaMurphphotographyphotostravel photographyTravelPhotographySun, 26 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Chris Owen]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/06/blogger-chris-owen/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/06/blogger-chris-owen/http://www.gadling.com/2010/12/06/blogger-chris-owen/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo:Chris OwenWhere was your photo taken?
At Misty Fjords, Alaska on the wing of a seaplane that I had used to tour for the day. In this photo we had landed on a pristine lake where the only sound we heard was a bear or beavers fishing. Or so said the guide -- it might have been Uncle Zeb splashing around in the bushes for all we know.

Where do you live now?
Orlando, Florida aka Paradise to this guy who spent a few too many cold, angry winters farther North.

Scariest airline flown?
Spirit Airlines from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale and just last July. It was like being on a prison plane. "We leave in 5 minutes, seated or not!" and I think they meant it. Gilda, the Nazi cabin attendant was overheard saying "I can't wait until we get the stand-up seatinig" with glee.

Favorite city/country/place?
St Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands where I will live some day. I have friends who already made the jump and they just love it there.

Most remote corner of the globe visited?
Mt McKinley in Alaska, the highest peak in North America. I did not climb the peak but did wave at the ants below as we flew around them in a plane much like my dad had when I was a little kid.

Favorite Guidebook series?
Frommers, but I have to tell you, I used guidebooks once and that was about it -- and that was a long long time ago. I like going places recommended by friends or travel writers as best bets, out-of-the way places and hardly ever touristy attractions except for the "I did that" factor.

Worst hotel experience ever?
The Colby Hotel in Colby, Kansas. Winter of some year when I was a little kid. We drove through a bizzard from Kansas City to way Western Kansas at about 12 miles an hour the whole way. Got to the hotel and we were the only ones in it and everything was shut down. We burned furniture in garbage cans outside to cook with and melted snow to have drinking water.

Dream travel destination?
Egypt including a cruise on the Nile. I'm pretty sure I was of royal ancestry in a previous life but won't know for sure until I arrive there some day. Yes, I really mean that. In 8th grade a Social Studies teacher made us do exacting hand drawings of pyramids and other structures. I was hooked then and probably always will be until I get there... or get back, depending on how it all plays out.

Favorite means of transportation?
Cruise ship/liner of course! No matter what happens on land, I always have a nice cozy cruise ship to come back home to at night. The last Non-US hotel I stayed at was in London and I didn't like it one bit. I was quite a hit in the hotel lobby though asking where I get "more of these pieces of money" referring to the odd bills with strange faces and coins of strange sizes.

Have you ever had an unexpected layover? What did you do?
At Chicago, Midway. I had flown in for a job interview and was scheduled to fly out the same day. When I got there I had the fastest interview in history and that guy was gone. I found out later after lake-effect snow shut everything down why he wanted out so fast. I was stuck there for two days. I pretended I was a traveling talent agent looking for new acts. You'd be surprised the things people will do/sing/play if they think they have a chance to be famous.

Blogger Chris Owen originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlaskaChris OwenChrisOwenGuessingMon, 06 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Joel Bullock]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/11/18/blogger-joel-bullock/http://www.gadling.com/2010/11/18/blogger-joel-bullock/http://www.gadling.com/2010/11/18/blogger-joel-bullock/#commentsFiled under: ,

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Joel Bullock . . .

Where was your photo taken? My photo was taken at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'm standing in front of a piece of roller coaster track from the Intimidator.

Where do you live now? I live in North Carolina. It's not only a great place to live, but it's also within a day's drive of many of the best theme parks in America.

Scariest airline flown: I've flown a good bit for work and for pleasure. Ironically, my first flight ever was by far the scariest. It was a short flight from BWI to Buffalo in a little commuter jet that was being tossed around by a stormy night. I'm sure it didn't help that it was my first flight, but I haven't experienced a ride half as turbulent in all my travels since.

How did you get started traveling? I got started traveling to theme parks in my early 20's. I visited them occasionally as a kid, but I was terrified of roller coasters for most of my childhood. On a trip to my local theme park I was dragged onto the park's full lineup of coasters by my high school girlfriend. After that day I was hooked. I have now traveled to more than 30 amusement parks all over the United States.

Favorite city/country/place: It's tough to pick just one. My favorite theme parks are the Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia. Both parks are beautifully themed, have world-class roller coasters, and provide a top-notch guest experience.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: I ventured deep into a wild cave in West Virginia. It was an other-worldly experience.

Favorite guidebook series: I don't use guidebooks for my trips. I mainly rely on the Web for my theme park travel research.

Most recent trip: My last theme park trip was to Kings Dominion where I rode my 200th roller coaster. I grew up going to the park, but I hadn't been back in six years. It worked out that Intimidator 305, one of the tallest roller coasters in the World, was my 200th. So, it was a pretty neat homecoming.

The ideal vacation is... I would love to visit all of the great theme parks in Europe. An ideal vacation would be a two-week odyssey where I'd bounce from park to park everyday. It would be the theme park version of The Amazing Race, minus the challenges, prize money, and Phil Keogahn.

Person you'd most like to interview for Gadling? I would love to interview my favorite steel and wooden roller coaster designers. Famed Swiss designers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard (known as B&M) would be my top pick. Their revolutionary steel creations have had a profound effect on the amusement industry. Not to mention, they're a lot of fun. It would also be a thrill to interview American-based wooden roller coaster designers, The Gravity Group. They've found ways to make an old dog, wooden coasters, do some really cool new tricks.

Blogger Joel Bullock originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Julie Gerstein]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/16/blogger-julie-gerstein/http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/16/blogger-julie-gerstein/http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/16/blogger-julie-gerstein/#commentsFiled under:

Where was this photo taken: Condesa neighborhood, Mexico City

Where do you live now: Brooklyn, New York

Scariest airline flown: I'm of the opinion that flying is part of the travel experience -- not just a means to an end. I find flying to be exciting and glamorous and do my best to elevate the experience however I can.

I'm lucky to never have had a truly bad flying experience. That said, my scariest flying experience was the flight I took to sky dive in New Zealand (with fellow Gadling blogger Mike Barish). Nothing is more frightening than taking off in a plane you KNOW you won't be landing in.

How did you get started traveling?
I worked all through college and never had the time or money to travel. When I graduated, a boyfriend and I had lofty plans to head to Cuba via Mexico. But when we got to Mexico we fell in love with the place and couldn't leave.

This was during the historic 2000 Mexican election, and my travel partner and I decided to become international observers during the election. We were stationed in a small Zapatista village for two weeks in the remote mountains of Chiapas. So I went from no travel experience to roughing it pretty hardcore in a short amount of time.

Favorite city/country/place: Mexico City is magical to me. I love its wild energy and gritty charm -- and tacos. But it's really hard to pick just one place. I love the bike culture of Amsterdam, the quiet beauty of Croatia and the maniacal "Blade Runner"-ness of Tokyo.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: I went to Salta region of Argentina, which is the Andean Northwest of the country -- and traveled through the Quebrada de Cafayate. It's so remote that most people don't have cars -- and even the POLICE hitchhike to get in between towns.

Favorite guidebook series: For sheer aspirational living, I love the "Wallpaper" city guides. But for real down and dirty details, I tend to stick with "Lonely Planet."

Favorite foreign dish or restaurant? I love eating. I'm a strict vegetarian -- so eating while traveling can be challenging and sometimes boring, depending where you are (pro tip: Buenos Aires is a terrible place to be veg!)

A surprisingly fun place to eat -- Ljubljana, Slovenia. It continues to emerge as a travel destination -- and that means more and more varieties of ethnic food can be found there. I ate some really good Mexican in Ljubljana.

Favorite travel book
By far, my favorite travel book is Paul Theroux's "Dark Star Safari." It chronicles his overland journeys from Cairo to Capetown over a six month or so period. Theroux heads into deeply uncharted -- and in some cases -- unsafe territory in order to experience the wealth of culture and beauty Africa has to offer.

Traveler's resume -- where have you been? So far, I've been to around twenty countries on four continents. But I'm itching to travel even more. In the 70s, my dad traveled the Hippie Highway across Turkey and down to India through Iraq and Afghanistan. He's gone places most of us couldn't even think of traversing now, and I'd love to someday, somehow follow in his footsteps. Up first though: expanding my traveling repertoire to Africa -- the cave churches of Addis Ababa sound like a must-see and I'm dying to check out Botswana.

Blogger Julie Gerstein originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogger profileBloggerProfilejulie gersteinJulieGersteinMon, 16 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Meg Nesterov]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/06/blogger-meg-nesterov/http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/06/blogger-meg-nesterov/http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/06/blogger-meg-nesterov/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Where was your photo taken: On a plane bound for Tokyo from JFK, taken to join the elite ranks of Heather Poole's laviators.

Where do you live now: Istanbul, Turkey. I arrived here in May to accompany my husband who is consulting on a project with Turkish company. We will eventually return home to Brooklyn, New York, where we can be found sampling the city's many all-you-can-drink brunch specials and planning our next trip.

Scariest airline flown: Like Alex Robertson Textor, I'd have to go with La Costeña in Nicaragua to the Corn Islands. It feels like you are flying on an unwieldy bicycle, and when a fellow passenger noted that one of the controls was not working, the pilot remarked, "Oh, I don't use that, it's turned off!" They do serve cookies and Fanta, so not wholly unpleasant.

Favorite city/country/place: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. After spending many childhood summers on the lake, I honeymooned there for a glorious week with my husband barbecuing, playing cards, and hiking through the woods with my grandfather.

Continue reading Blogger Meg Nesterov

Blogger Meg Nesterov originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Jason Heflin]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/blogger-jason-heflin/http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/blogger-jason-heflin/http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/blogger-jason-heflin/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Jason Heflin. . .

Where was your photo taken: The Wedge/Little Grand Canyon, Utah

Where do you live now: Bowling Green, Kentucky

Scariest airline flown: I once flew a short commuter flight from Tanzania to Kenya. The baggage attendants at the gate tried to hustle my travel party for bogus extra baggage fees. The conversation got a bit heated and since the machine gun-toting guards at the door seemed to be friendly with the baggage workers we negotiated a rate that satisfied all parties. Yes, the bags did make it to our destination.

Favorite City/Country/Place: My favorite spot would be Interlaken Switzerland, hands down.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: One of the most remote experiences I had was hiking the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu. Camping deep in the Andes is a real treat. The milky way looked as if it were painted across the sky with thick white paint.

Favorite guidebook series: I always go with Lonely Planet. They haven't let me down yet.

Connected or disconnected (re: phones, computer): Reluctantly connected. My iphone, laptop, and a handful of other gadgets always accompany me on every trip.

First culture shock experience: I took a summer class in Ireland my senior year in college. It was my first international trip, the first time I had spent over two hours on a plane, and my first experience with the still unmatched Irish pub scene.

Worst place to catch a stomach bug? I'm sure there are worse places, but I once got Salmonella in the Dominican Republic. When I saw the local hospital had a gravel parking lot with chickens pecking the ground I opted to fight it out in the hotel room with a bag of fluids and a lot of prayer.

The most unusual food I've ever eaten is... Zebra. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Blogger Jason Heflin originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jason heflinnew bloggerWed, 09 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Alex Robertson Textor]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/05/24/blogger-alex-robertson-textor/http://www.gadling.com/2010/05/24/blogger-alex-robertson-textor/http://www.gadling.com/2010/05/24/blogger-alex-robertson-textor/#commentsFiled under:

Where was your photo taken: Museo del Chocolate, Havana, Cuba.

Where do you live now: Brooklyn, New York.

Scariest airline flown: My flight from Managua to Big Corn Island last September on La Costeña Airlines was probably the scariest I've ever taken. Our tiny prop plane bobbled violently for what seemed like an eternity through enormous rain clouds. Each jolt was accompanied by a chorus of screams from the back of the plane.

Favorite city/country/place: My favorite city is probably Melbourne, though there are at least a dozen cities nipping at its heels. Some other favorite places include Terre-de-Haut (Guadeloupe), northern California, and the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Boipeba Island, Brazil.

Favorite guidebook series: Bradt travel guides, for their inspiring titles and cultural insights. I'm also a fan of Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, and Time Out.

Dream travel destination: Rapa Iti, French Polynesia.

Person you'd most like to interview for Gadling: The amazingly well-traveled Lauren Hutton.

Type of traveler: Budget, with low-tech adventure undertones and occasional departures of the eco-friendly luxury variety.

Next trip: Boston and Cape Cod.

Blogger Alex Robertson Textor originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 24 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Mon, 24 May 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[He's Baaaaack!]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/19/hes-baaaaack/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/19/hes-baaaaack/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/19/hes-baaaaack/#commentsFiled under: ,

Clinging to the time-honored American tradition of grand re-entrances (and like a malevolent phantom lunging at you through your computer screen), I have returned. Didja miss me, huh?

Apologies for the disappearance but over the last few months I have been out touring my conspicuous act and feeding my inner hobo. Maybe you heard about that psychotic man who rode the Bus 2 Antarctica? Yeah [nonchalant hair toss], that was me. Or that intrepid explorer who snapped a picture of the super rare all-black penguin and sold it to all the British tabloids? Yeah, that was me too. And the guy who revolutionized Twitter? Well no, actually, that was Ashton Kutcher . . .

But yeah, I'm back from my epic journey to Antarctica with all kinds of fun facts, like the slowest way between any two points on a map and 101 effective toilet paper substitutes at all-night Peruvian truck stops. Boys and girls, ladies and gents! I have traveled the world and (drum roll) . . . hit all seven continents like a redneck hammering plastic gophers at the county fair. I have come full circle and who did I find waiting for me patiently at the dock, heavily lipsticked and with daisies in hand? Gadling: my dear sweet, doe-eyed darling Gadling.

So, kill the fatted calf and pull up a bean bag chair! Gadling's prodigal son has come back to the fold, poised at my typewriter and ready to bang out nifty travel stories for your ongoing reading pleasure. Beware of good times ahead: it's gonna be just like that book "Oh the Places You'll Go!", only so much trippier.

He's Baaaaack! originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Andrew EvansAndrewEvansAntarcticabusBus2AntarcticapoltergeistreturnFri, 19 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger David Farley]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/15/blogger-david-farley/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/15/blogger-david-farley/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/15/blogger-david-farley/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

1. Where was your photo taken: La Torre, a great restaurant in Viterbo, about an hour north of Rome . The guy to my left is Paul Steffen, an 87-year-old American dancer who, at one time, was quite famous in Italy for his choreography. Those who have read my book, An Irreverent Curiosity, should be familiar with him. The photo was taken by Pancho Garrison, another good friend and Calcata character who has a sizeable presence in my book.

2. Where do you live now: New York City

3. Scariest airline flown: A "retired" Aeroflot plane that was being chartered by a tour operator. I was flying from Prague to the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria.

4. Favorite city/country/place: People ask me this question all the time and the answer changes depending on where I've traveled recently and my mood. I lived in Prague for a few years and was quite attached to the city long after I left. Also I lived in a village near Rome called Calcata and still have a deep fondness for both the Italian capital and Calcata. I was recently in Vietnam and came back home hoping I'll be able to spend a lot more time there in the future.

5. Most remote corner of the globe visited: I'm not terribly well traveled. I was recently in La Paz, 13,000 feet up in the Andes and with altitude sickness weighing me down as if a truck-sized boulder was on top of me, I felt like I had entered a completely different and very remote dimension.

6. Favorite guidebook series: It depends. Often I just opt to gather my own info via travel articles, news and magazine articles, and info from friends of friends who live in the destination. When I do use a guidebook I tend to gravitate to the Time Out series though.

Continue reading Blogger David Farley

Blogger David Farley originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blogger Leigh Caldwell]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/09/blogger-leigh-caldwell/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/09/blogger-leigh-caldwell/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/09/blogger-leigh-caldwell/#commentsFiled under:

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Leigh Caldwell. . .

Where was your photo taken: Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. I took my Florida-born daughter hiking here to see snow for the first time.

Where do you live now: Orlando(-ish)

Scariest airline flown: Air South, a limping, discount carrier that offered $19.99 fares on an aging 727 between St. Petersburg, Fla., and Fort Lauderdale in the mid-90s. I boarded an Air South flight one morning after encountering the same woman checking my bag at the counter and taking my boarding pass at the gate. As I was fastening my seatbelt, she boarded the plane and took her seat - in the cockpit.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Does that Illinois corn field I accidentally drove the driver's ed car through in high school count?

Favorite guidebook series: I'm much more likely to surf travel blogs and ask locals for destination advice, but I am an admirer of the Rough Guides. Overall, I think they better acquaint you with the culture of a place than some of the other series.

Continue reading Blogger Leigh Caldwell

Blogger Leigh Caldwell originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST