At some point in our lives, hostelling begins to lose its appeal. Sure, it's cheap, the community is great and often times the locations are unbeatable, but sooner or later the needs for some personal space and some quiet time begin to outweigh the need for low budget ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Nightlife
Budget meets Boutique: The Jane in NYC
At some point in our lives, hostelling begins to lose its appeal. Sure, it's cheap, the community is great and often times the locations are unbeatable, but sooner or later the needs for some personal space and some quiet time begin to outweigh the need for low budget ...10 things to do on Jost Van Dyke, the "New York of the Virgin Islands"
Only five miles from Tortola, the main commercial center of the British Virgin Islands, minuscule Jost (rhymes with "toast") Van Dyke is a little island with a big reputation. The scant 8-square-mile island -- dubbed the "New York of the Virgin Islands" because it offers ...Only in Alaska: Celebrating solstice
Before I moved to Alaska, I assumed that solstice celebrations were for druids and/or hippies, and imagined long-haired folks with crowns of leaves preforming incantations and ceremonies on both the longest and shortest days of the year. While there are no doubt spiritual ...Old San Juan - Beautiful Views and What to Do
Old San Juan is a must-see on a trip to Puerto Rico. Even if you're on a budget, you can get there from anywhere along the resort area of San Juan by taking the A-5 bus (75 cents), and you can get around on foot or take the free trolleys. Old San Juan was permanently etched ...Human Rights International Film Festival
A few years ago, in the audience of the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center watching A Closer Walk, a wonderful documentary about the global struggle caused by AIDS, I felt tuned into something bigger than myself. Reading New York Times film critic Steven Holden's article ...A call from the David Letterman show doesn't mean tickets: Be prepared
When the David Letterman show called me on my cell phone yesterday evening, I was in a shuttle van after attending a party at Gordon Gee's house. Gee, the president of The Ohio State University was hosting a lovely gathering for Fred Anderle, a local public radio talk show ...Negotiating the "morning after" at Balmer's
I laughed out loud at Terry Ward's observations over at World Hum of young Americans awkwardly negotiating the "morning after" scene at Balmer's Herberge in Interlaken, Switzerland. Laughed, because when I was a 21-year-old college student on a study abroad trip, Balmer's ...Photo of the Day (5.29.09)
Flickr user ultraclay! submitted this ultra-chaotic shot from New York City's Theater District, where thousands of tourists flock (sometimes all at once) to see the best that Broadway has to offer. The feeling of total sensory-overload in this photo captures exactly what ..."Rule of 3" suffering in Thailand's red light districts
The bar girls in Patpong, a destination for so-called "sex travelers," have a basic rule: three inches (duh), three minutes (duh), 3,000 baht (that's around $87).This year, they can add another "3" to it, one third. That's roughly how far tourism revenues are expected to ...Cross-dressing nuns get off in Crete
Insult is added to industry when you appear in court wearing the clothes that got you arrested. The 17 Britsh men, ranging in age from 18 to 65, who were pinched for their drunken nun-attired escapades made their appearance this morning – and were judged innocent! ...Vancouver hookers get media training for Olympics
A magnifying class will be held over Vancouver from February 12 to February 28 for the Winter Olympics, and Vancouver's prostitutes want to put their best feet forward. To prepare for the influx of business and – media onslaught – Prostitution Alternatives ...Drunk Brits get Crete arrest for nun prank
How many people actually dress up as nuns when they get drunk?
In Crete, the answer was "17" recently. That's how many drunk British tourists were arrested for insulting the Catholic Church. After a bit of extra imbibing, they donned "nun attire and naughty lingerie," which ...It's roller coaster season: Ride the Beast
Ghost hunt in a prison tours: Part history, part chills, even in daylight
May is the month that kicks off the full season of the Ohio State Reformatory tours. This prison that played centerpiece to the movie Shawshank Redemption is a Gothic style stone building that looks formidable even in daylight. At night it can really creep a person out. ...China's first adult theme park never able to open
The first sexually explicit theme park to be erected in China will never welcome its first guest. The park was torn down because of criticism from public officials. In particular, the artwork was a bit much for the politicians' sensibilities.
Love Land, as the park was to be ...Helo pilot grounded because of in-flight porn star tryst
Definition of good sex: you're willing to come back for more Definition of great sex: you're willing to piss away your pilot's license Definition of unforgettable sex: "great" sex with a porn star
David Martz is stupid enough to make receiving oral sex unpleasant. How? He ...Satisfy your lust in Baghdad (finally!)
According to the NY Times, Baghdad is getting safer, and people are looking to have a good time (though, this does stand in stark contrast to the suicide bombing I reported a few weeks ago). So, if you find yourself in Iraq's capital, stop by a nightclub, order a drink and ...Cuba Libre: Baracoa
Turkish smoking ban? Your survival plan
I never thought I'd have to write about a smoking ban in Turkey. It just struck me as one of a handful of locations that would never extinguish the flame. But, on July 19, the impossible will come to pass.
In part, it exists already. Since May of last year, smoking has not ...Cuba Libre: Santiago de Cuba
Since it is almost on the other side of the island from Cuba's most popular destination, Havana, few tourists make the long journey to Santiago de Cuba. The few who do, however, are treated to a unique cultural experience, as Santiago de Cuba has a strong Afro-Cuban history ...
