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[Ten most corrupt countries of the world]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/10/28/ten-most-corrupt-countries-of-the-world/http://www.gadling.com/2010/10/28/ten-most-corrupt-countries-of-the-world/http://www.gadling.com/2010/10/28/ten-most-corrupt-countries-of-the-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

You spend every holiday weekend annoyed that you can't talk your way out of a speeding ticket. If only there were some way out of that predicament ... aside from taking your lead foot off the gas, right? You may be out of luck on the New Jersey Turnpike, but there are plenty of places in the world where money talks, according to a new study by Transparency International. So, if you tend to disregard local laws and customs, you may want to pick one of the 10 countries below for your next vacation.

WARNING: You may need to bring a bit of fire power for some of these destinations.

1. Somalia: Is this even a country? It has no real government to speak of, not to mention a history of piracy, mob violence, warlord brutality and kidnapping. So, chew a little khat to take the edge off.

The Good News: You can't really break any laws where there aren't any.

2. Myanmar: Okay, the human rights issue here is pretty severe, and the military regime is known for being among the most repressive and abusive in the world. So, don't complain about the thread-count in your hotel.

The Good News: There's plenty of wildlife to enjoy as a result of slow economic growth. A bleak financial outlook is good for the environment!

Gallery: Corruption: The world's 10 worst countries

1. Somalia2. Myanmar3. Afghanistan4. Iraq5. Uzbekistan

Continue reading Ten most corrupt countries of the world

Ten most corrupt countries of the world originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baghdadbribebriberybribesbribingburmaCIAconflictcorruptioncrimedrugdrug traffickingdrugsDrugTraffickingEquatorial GuineaEquatorialGuineaheroinhuman rightsHuman TraffickingHumanRightsHumanTraffickingkidnapkidnappedkidnappingLake TanganyikaLakeTanganyikamyanmarStrifeterrorterrorismviolencewarwarlordsThu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Oprah's 10 terrific reads for 2009 showcase diversity and travel]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/29/10-terrific-reads-for-2009-showcase-diversity-and-travel/http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/29/10-terrific-reads-for-2009-showcase-diversity-and-travel/http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/29/10-terrific-reads-for-2009-showcase-diversity-and-travel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Regardless of what one thinks of Oprah, it's hard to argue that the woman doesn't have her thumbprint on some mighty great stuff. Her "10 Terrific Reads for 2009," for example, is filled with suggestions that capture the flavor of travel, adventure and diversity. Many of them are about people from one country who have been brought to another by life's circumstances or their drive to explore.

If you read these 10 books, I'd say you'll have a thought-provoking and enlightening journey through certain parts of the world, particularly Africa. Before you head out on your next journey, pick up one of these and pass it on.

Here are the 10 books with the countries that provide the setting or settings. For a summary of each book, click each title.

  • The Bolter, Frances Osborne--Kenya (Great Britain connection)
  • Dreaming in Hindi, Katherine Russel Rich--India (U.S. connection)
  • Little Bee, Chris Cleve--Great Britain (Nigeria connection)
  • Blame, Michelle Huneven--U.S. (This one doesn't have a cross-cultural component but is compared to Sand and Fog which is one of the best novels showing cross-cultural connections gone wrong that I've ever read.)
  • Losing Mum and Pup, Christopher Buckley--U.S. (Another without a cross-cultural component, but loss of parents is cross-cultural and Buckley's dad, William F. Buckley certainly had a lot of opinions about the world.)
  • Zeitoun, Dave Eggers--U.S. (Syrian connection) I met Dave Eggers. He's as wonderful in person as his writing reflects. Truly splendid. I'm buying this one.
  • Say You're One of Them, Uwem Akpan--Kenya and Rwanda. Akpan is a Nigerian writer.
  • Some Things that Meant the World to Me, Joshua Mohr--U.S. Part of this novel takes place in Home Depot in San Francisco. Doesn't the bring up an unusual mix of images?!
  • The Invisible Mountain, Carolina De Robertis--South America. The reading guide mentions Argentina.
  • Strength in What Remains:A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, Tracy Kidder--Burundi and U.S.

Oprah's 10 terrific reads for 2009 showcase diversity and travel originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best booksBestBooksBlamebooksCarolina De RobertisCarolinaDeRobertisChris CleveChrisCleveChristopher BuckleyChristopherBuckleyDave EggersDaveEggersDreaming in HindiDreamingInHindiFrances OsborneFrancesOsborneJoshua MohrJoshuaMohrKatherine Russel RichKatherineRusselRichLittle BeeLittleBeeLosing Mum and PupLosingMumAndPupMichelle HunevenMichelleHunevenOprahSay Youre One of ThemSayYoureOneOfThemSome Things that Meant the World to MeSomeThingsThatMeantTheWorldToMeStrength in What RemainsStrengthInWhatRemainsThe BolterThe invisible MountainTheBolterTheInvisibleMountainTop 10 readsTop10ReadsTracy KidderTracyKidderUwem AkpanUwemAkpanzeitounSun, 29 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/25/the-ultimate-road-trip-12-500-miles-across-africa-on-a-motorcyc/http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/25/the-ultimate-road-trip-12-500-miles-across-africa-on-a-motorcyc/http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/25/the-ultimate-road-trip-12-500-miles-across-africa-on-a-motorcyc/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thomas Tomczyk is serious about motorcycles. He's done three motorcycle trips across India, from the steamy southern tip all the way up to the frozen highlands of Ladakh. Now he's starting his childhood dream--an epic trip 12,500 miles (20,000 km) across Africa.

His zigzag tour will take in 22 African nations including South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, the Saharawi Republic, and Morocco. . .

. . .before he ends up skinny, exhausted, and happy at my house in Spain, where my wife will fatten him up with her excellent paella.

Full disclosure: Thomas is a friend of mine. We covered the massive Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela together in 2001 and barely managed not to get trampled to death by hordes of naked holy men. But even if I didn't know him, this trip is so thoroughly cool I would have reported on it anyway.

Thomas isn't just going on vacation; he'll be visiting innovative grassroots projects that are making life better for the average African. Through his website Africa Heart Beat he'll be telling us about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, such as creating a job center for landmine victims in Mozambique, an AIDS theater group in Botswana, and a Muslim-Christian vocational center in Mali that's bringing the two communities together.

"The idea of crossing Africa came to me when I was 10," Thomas says.

Continue reading The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle

The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure traveladventure-travelAdventureTravelblogbloggersbloggingblogscharitiescharitydevelopmentmotorcyclemotorcyclesngosroad triproadtripsustainable developmentSustainableDevelopmentWed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Top hell-holes on earth]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/05/07/top-hell-holes-on-earth/http://www.gadling.com/2008/05/07/top-hell-holes-on-earth/http://www.gadling.com/2008/05/07/top-hell-holes-on-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April Fool's Day, 2007, I wrote a post on Linfen, China. Although it was written as a joke, the premise is true. Linfen is a royal mess. Its mighty pollution problem has earned it the number 2 spot on the recent "Hells on Earth" list. The air quality in Linfen is so horrific that there is a perpetual feeling of dusk in this coal dust laden city.

Here's the rest of the ten places that have a hellish quality. Perhaps you know of others that should have made the cut.

Continue reading Top hell-holes on earth

Top hell-holes on earth originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 07 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dhakahell on earthHellOnEarthLinfenOklahomaworst places on earthWorstPlacesOnEarthWed, 07 May 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The World's Most Dangerous Destinations for 2007]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/03/22/the-worlds-most-dangerous-destinations-for-2007/http://www.gadling.com/2007/03/22/the-worlds-most-dangerous-destinations-for-2007/http://www.gadling.com/2007/03/22/the-worlds-most-dangerous-destinations-for-2007/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BurundiHere at Gadling, we usually profile places people WANT to go. However, sometimes it's useful to mention places to avoid. Consequently, here's an interesting (and not altogether surprising) list of the 2007's 12 Most Dangerous Destinations:

  • Somalia
  • Iraq
  • Afghanistan
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Pakistan
  • Burundi
  • Sri Lanka
  • Haiti
  • Chad
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia

Of course, you probably don't think of these places as vacation destinations, unless you're a whacked-out Robert Young Pelton. However, employees of governments, oil and mining industries, and telecom industries are increasingly being dispatched to these locations. If you work for one of those groups, be certain to ask about insurance, hazard pay -- and a bodyguard.

Interestingly, the piece argues that the world is NOT getting more dangerous right now. Rather, globalization and the attendant "shrinking" of the planet is largely responsible for making the world APPEAR more dangerous now than before. Whether or not you agree with that assertion, the article is interesting, and the gallery is frightening.

The World's Most Dangerous Destinations for 2007 originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dangerousThu, 22 Mar 2007 15:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Word for the Travel Wise (09/21/06)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/09/21/word-for-the-travel-wise-09-21-06/http://www.gadling.com/2006/09/21/word-for-the-travel-wise-09-21-06/http://www.gadling.com/2006/09/21/word-for-the-travel-wise-09-21-06/#commentsFiled under: , ,

BurundiEarlier this year I took on an ambitious task of attempting to cover every African country for Black history month. The funny part of covering almost all the countries is that I have been to none. Never seen Africa and never touched the continent, but I felt there were enough stories from other people to complete the mission. WRONG. While there is a ton of info on countries like Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco there is little on countries like Burundi. I discovered this during my searches, but also found a few helpful online places for little Burundi. One of which can be found here. Erik also did a bizarre plug on the country back in April.

Today's word is a Kirundi word used in Burundi:

ubu - now

Kirundi is an official language of Burundi, a Central African country. There are about 4.6 million speakers of the language some also residing in Tanzania, Congo-Kinshasa and Uganda. Learning Kirundi will be difficult online. Wiki has a short list of words, but you'll probably have to tour the country if you ever wish to become anywhere close to fluent.

Word for the Travel Wise (09/21/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kirundilanguageThu, 21 Sep 2006 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[African Nation Swipes Photographer's Image?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/04/30/african-nation-swipes-photographers-image/http://www.gadling.com/2006/04/30/african-nation-swipes-photographers-image/http://www.gadling.com/2006/04/30/african-nation-swipes-photographers-image/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


This came in through email recently and I confess I am totally intrigued. Photographer Kelly Fajack says that a photo he took (no no not the one of the hot chick pulling you POV into bed) was used without his permission by the government of Burundi. Was it published in some random Burundi newspaper, say The Burundi National Ledger and Gazette? The Burundi Journal of Education? Nope. It looks as if it was used on the national currency, the 10,000 franc note, to be exact. If you take a look at both the image and the bill, it seems pretty damn clear that they are the same image...with the exception that on the bill the kid in the front seat doesn't wrench his mouth in a little sneer as he does in the photo. Fajack says that he was notified the image was taken from him by an American diplomat, and that he believes the image was taken from his Website. He's failed a lawsuit against Burundi for copyright infringement.



African Nation Swipes Photographer's Image? originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 30 Apr 2006 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 30 Apr 2006 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Africa Travel: Burkina Faso & Burundi]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/02/04/africa-travel-burkina-faso-and-burundi/http://www.gadling.com/2006/02/04/africa-travel-burkina-faso-and-burundi/http://www.gadling.com/2006/02/04/africa-travel-burkina-faso-and-burundi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

BurundiI'll admit it is a pretty ambitious goal to tackle and track down some of the secrets behind every country on the African continent (especially when one has never been) for Black History month and a hard one too. As I started looking for things to pour out to the masses on Burkina Faso and Burundi I hit a brick wall. However, Burkina Faso, a west African country north of Ghana has a few things for the interested tourist. One Lonely Planet reader actually listed Burkina Faso on his Blue List with attractions being the SIAO Art Festival and Yako - the halfway town. You can read his notes here, but outside of this and the LP online guide I didn't find a whole lot of promotion for tourism within the country.

Things got even worse on my Burundi searches. Let me not say worse, but complicated. This central African country sits east of Democratic Republic of the Congo and has suffered from years of ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi much like its neighbor to the north, Rwanda. Though things have simmered down it is still advised visitors seek other travel destinations over Burundi. The photo above is from Burundi taken by Jan Oberg found this Burundi.nu a site dedicated to spreading tourism and general information on the country. Created by John Jorgensen and his Burundi born wife, Chantal Nahimana Jorgensen the site deserves all your attention if you ever consider travel to Burundi.

Anyone with additional sites or experiences on either of the countries, please share.

Africa Travel: Burkina Faso & Burundi originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 04 Feb 2006 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sat, 04 Feb 2006 23:12:00 EST